Capsule Monsters
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, but I've decided to retell and alter the adventure with the addition of some of my own characters.
1. Dream

Dream

No one knows what causes a person to think something is going to happen or even what gives them such signs. Sometimes, people wonder if such a sensation is based upon a dream. Dreams are supposed to be mysterious and not even make sense. But there are times when people think that their dreams are signs or even predictions. Actually, sometimes predictions are based off on nightmares.

Yugi was in the same situation. In his dream, he was walking down a hall without having any idea of where he was. As he continued his path, he continued to see nothing but darkness. "What is this place? Hello?" Suddenly, something crashed into one of the pillars in the hall. "Hey, who's there?" Then Yugi saw his partner, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle standing in front of him and wearing a vest made of gold. "Pharaoh, it's you. Where are we and what's with the weird getup?"

"This isn't the best time for questions," Yami tells him. Yugi faces his front and sees a strange dark monster in front of him. "Run while you can!" Yami shouts as the darkness surrounds him and Yugi. Then the monster reaches down and grabs him.

"Hey, let go of my friend!" Yugi shouts.

"Your friend belongs to me now," the monster debates.

"Who are you?" Yugi shouts.

"It will all become clear in good time, just as soon as you join the game, that is." And the monster drifts away, taking Yami with him.

Yugi tries to pursue the monster and rescue Yami, but his nightmare quickly comes to an end as he snaps out of it and falls from his bed. "These nightmares are getting to be a pain," Yugi groans as he rubs himself to ease the pain. Suddenly, he notices his Millennium Puzzle glowing. "That's strange. What's up with my Millennium Puzzle? Could the Great Goddess be trying to tell me something?"


	2. A Big Break

A Big Break

Yugi and Emily locked the doors to their houses and began taking their path to school. They noticed that the front door of the game shop still had the closed sign on it. Yugi's grandfather left a week ago to take part in a secret expedition outside of the country. His flight was supposed to have gotten in last night, but he still had not yet returned home.

While Joey was on his way to school, he noticed a crowd at one of the stands. Two people were hosting a drawing and said one lucky contestant would win an exotic trip to India. Joey was a bit of a gambler and would never allow himself to pass up such a cool opportunity. So he rolled his sleeve for good luck and gave the wheel a spin.

At school, Yugi was teaching his friends how to play the new board game Capsule Monsters. It was similar to the card game Duel Monsters, but players did battle with toy monsters and the game was treated like a role-playing game where they had to avoid traps and claim treasure.

Just then, Joey stormed through the door to the classroom in enthusiasm. "You'll never guess what I have in my hand!"

"Before you burst a blood vessel, take a deep breath," Emily tells him. Joey listens to her and inhales.

"Good, and exhale," Tea tells him. Joey slowly breathes out.

"Now hold your breath and you'll be back to your old self in no time," said Max. Joey listens to her and holds it in. Max sees that his face is turning red, but she tells him to keep holding it.

Joey couldn't hold it in anymore. "Are you crazy!?" He snaps, wondering if she was trying to kill him.

Max just chuckles. "That's the Joey I know."

But he manages to relax and contain his excitement anyway. "You'd better be nice if you want these five tickets to paradise, that is," he says, showing his friends the prize he won from the drawing.

After school, Joey once again let his enthusiasm take control. His friends found it embarrassing, but Joey told him that they were the ones who should be embarrassed. For starters, he won the trip and was inviting his friends to take part in it. It sounded like fun, but Tea started feeling uneasy about it. Every time she and her friends went on a journey, they ended up in some kind of danger. She was still looking forward to going to India, but she secretly hoped that things would be normal.

The next day, the gang met up at the airport to catch their plane. The trip would only last for six days, but Joey packed a suitcase, a backpack, a carrying case, almost everything he thought he would need. The rest of his friends just brought small suitcases.

The pilot led the gang to a small plane. Max was a little disappointed and was hoping to be riding in a private jet. At the same time, she hoped the trip would be worth her while. After loading their luggage, the team boarded the plane.

After flying for hours, everyone found themselves in India. It would still take a while for them to reach civilization, so they enjoyed the scenery from above. "Awesome," Emily said in awe. "There's nothing but nature for miles."

Even Max was starting to be a little more thrilled. "You think we can bungee jump over that river, guys?"

"Sure, why not?" Yugi replied. _I think Max is more excited than the rest of us. I knew she'd come around. This trip is going to be unforgettable._

Just then, the ride started to get rough. The pilot turns around and warns the passengers, "We're experiencing some minor engine troubles. Please remain in your seats, keep your seatbelts fastened, and don't panic." But it wasn't minor at all. The engines quickly failed and the plane made a rough landing through the trees and into the river.

No one was injured, which was a good thing. "That was enough excitement to last us the whole trip," Max said sarcastically.

"The pilot sent a distress signal, but he said it may take a while before help arrives," said Tea.

Joey quickly stands up. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not wasting my free trip waiting for a rescue team." Tristan agreed and decided to head out with Joey to take a look around.

"Wait," Yugi called to them. "We don't even know the first thing about this place, guys."

"Oh, right," said Max. "As if being totally clueless has ever stopped those two knuckleheads before?" Nonetheless, Yugi and the girls leave the river and follow them into the woods.


	3. Getting Played

Getting Played

The gang was knee deep in grass and the trees made the entire place feel humid. But it wasn't the humidity that gave Tea concerns. "So am I the only who thinks that walking endlessly through an unknown jungle that's probably filled with wild man-eating animals is a bad idea?"

"Nah, they're more afraid of us than we are of them," Joey answered, sounding optimistic. But his optimism turned into fear as he heard Tristan gasp. "Please tell me it's not a wild animal," Joey whined, clinging to a tree.

"It's not a wild animal," Tristan tells him. "It's a person." They see a blonde haired man in a dark cloak lying on the grass feeling weak. They get him out of the woods and take care of his injuries by giving him water to rehydrate and cleaning his scrapes.

"Are you feeling better?" Emily asked him. Instead of using her healing magic, she used her handkerchief and the water from Tea's flask to clean his scrapes.

"Much better, in fact," the man answered gratefully. "I'm quite lucky you all came along."

Then Yugi noticed a piece of cloth slipping from his hand. Looking closely, he mutters, "My grandpa has the same bandana."

Feeling strong again, the man approaches Yugi and asks, "Wait, are you Dr. Muto's grandson?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Yugi answered. "Is my grandfather okay?"

The man introduced himself as Alex Brismaine and said Yugi's grandfather was his mentor in archeology. They were on an expedition together when suddenly, Solomon mysteriously disappeared. Dr. Brismaine began leading the group to the place where he last saw Yugi's grandfather.

While they were walking together, Max gently tapped Emily's shoulder. When she got her attention, Max whispered, "Don't you think this is all too much of a coincidence?"

"What do you mean?" Emily whispered back.

"Think about it," Max explains. "We just _happen_ to win a trip, our plane just _happens_ to crash land, and we just _happen_ to come across the last man to have seen Yugi's grandpa. If you ask me, this is all too convenient."

"Are you saying this is all an act of fate?"

"I have a bad feeling it is. My Cobalt Star shard has been acting strange lately and it started reacting again when we found Dr. Brismaine."

"Now that you mention it," Emily was telling Max, "My Millennium Star was acting strange too. Maybe the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord have been trying to tell us something."

Then Dr. Brismaine brought them to the site. "There it is," he tells Yugi, "the reason your grandfather and I came here."

Everyone looks down and gasps, seeing a pyramid in front of them. "Call me crazy, but aren't pyramids usually in Egypt?" Tristan asks.

"It's really cool, but at the same time, it is mysterious," said Emily.

"Dr. Muto and I were just as amazed and confused as you are," said Dr. Brismane. "But nothing could have excited us more than what we would find within."

"What did you find out?" Max asked.

"Well, if my theory is correct, it's the legendary Pyramid of Alexander," said Dr. Brismaine.

"I'm gonna need a little more info," said Joey. "For starters, who's this Alexander guy?"

"Alexander the Great, of course," Emily answered. She remembered working on a report for class in middle school where students had to do research on a country of their choosing and present a report to the class. Emily presented a report of the country of Egypt and included research on Alexander the Great. "About two thousand years ago, he was the leader of the greatest empire ever known and conquered the greatest nations. At one point in history, he controlled Egypt, making him one of the great pharaohs. It explains the pyramid, but it doesn't explain why it was built in a remote land thousands of miles from Egypt."

"And it is that very mystery that led Yugi's grandfather and I halfway around the world in search of its origins," added Dr. Brismaine. He and Solomon entered the pyramid, but only one of them left safely. For all Alex knew, his colleague was still somewhere inside the pyramid. So he began leading his new friends inside. "Everyone stay close," he tells them with caution. "We must stay together as a group."

"Some trip this turned out to be," Joey complained.

"Well, you can't say it's boring, right?" Max asked. Then Joey stepped on a switch, activating a trap and causing needles to rise from the panel in front of him. After they sink back into the ground, Joey rejoins his friends. There was a stairwell leading to the second flight, but they had to walk on the ledge because the steps would collapse. Soon there was no path to walk on and they had to climb their way to the other side. When they made it, the path became narrow and they had to cross like they were going into a crawlspace.

"It isn't too far now," Dr. Brismaine said as he continued to lead the way.

"You seem to know your way through the pyramid very well," Emily told Dr. Brismaine. "Are you sure you've only been in here once?"

"Yes," Alex answered. "It's actually not so hard to know your way around after the first time. I've learned to pay close attention to my surroundings."

Max tightened her eyes. She sensed something suspicious about this man. _I don't trust this guy._

Finally, they came to the last place where Alex saw Yugi's grandfather. Alex never saw him disappear because they split up. Alex took the flight of stairs leading to the top of the pyramid only to come to a locked door. So he turned around and went downstairs to rejoin his colleague. Then he noticed another flight of stairs and followed it down one level. But when he reached the bottom, all Alex found was Solomon's headband. "Yugi, your grandfather seems to have evaporated into thin air."

Max found that to be ridiculous. "Look, I may not have a college degree yet, but I know this much; people don't just vanish into thin air." Her friends agreed and said that Solomon had to be somewhere inside the pyramid. So Dr. Brismaine led them down the stairs.

The entire area was bigger than a soccer field and the floor was neatly designed like it had the layout of a map. "I wonder if Mr. Muto found this room before he disappeared," said Tea.

"Well, it's definitely big enough to get lost in," said Tristan.

"Then let's stop standing around and look," Joey said and began looking around. But as he touched the floor, the tile below his feet glowed. "What's going on?" Then Joey sank into the floor.

"Look, he's gone!" Yugi gasped.

"Joey, no!" Tristan and the girls cry.

"Where'd he go?" Emily asked.

"I guess the same place Yugi's gramps went," said Tristan. Looking closely, Yugi noticed that the tile Joey stepped on had the image of a mountain. Tea looked too and saw a jungle, Tristan saw a desert, Max saw a beach, and Emily saw a meadow. Something about this floor was very intriguing to them.

"According to my research, this pyramid contains the secret of some sort of ancient game," said Dr. Brismaine.

Hearing him mention that made Yugi remember how much his grandfather loved games and was perhaps tempted to play. "All right, guys, I have no choice. I'm going in there to rescue Joey and Grandpa."

Alex's eyes widen. "You can't mean you're about to step on that map!"

"I have to," said Yugi. His friends decide to go with him. "Thanks, guys, but I've putting you in danger week after week for way too long. You should just-"

Tea interrupts him and tells him, "Look, you've got to stop talking us out of helping you."

Tristan agrees and adds, "It's getting real old and it never works." So the five of them jump on the floor and begin their new adventure.


	4. Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer

Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Max, and Emily land in the forest displayed on the map. They look and see strange devices on their left arms and odd belts around their waists. But rather than worry about their new gadgets, they walk and begin searching for Joey and Solomon. They try calling out to them, but don't get any answers.

"This isn't good," said Emily. "We need a different plan."

"Maybe we should look for clues," Max suggested.

Yugi kneels down and looks at what appears to be a curvy stone, he attempts to touch it, but Tristan tells everyone to be quiet and keep still. "I hear something coming this way. It's getting closer." Tea didn't hear anything, but Max and Emily felt it in their heels and knew Tristan was right. Suddenly, three insects called Gokibore appear from the trees. Everyone tries to escape so they don't end up getting bowled over.

"I recognize those things," said Yugi. "They're from the Capsule Monsters board game!" Soon a Great Mantis appears and blocks their path. "That looks familiar too!"

"Let's not stay and reminisce," said Tristan. The Great Mantis tries to attack, causing the group to split up. Tristan takes Tea with him while Yugi runs through another end of the forest with Max and Emily. To escape the Great Mantis, Yugi and the girls jump into the lake and swim to the other side.

Getting wet was the least of their problems. They needed to find the rest of their friends, so they called everyone's names. But Great Mantis appeared from the bushes and tried to attack. Yugi's Millennium Puzzle activates, causing Yami to take over. He pushes Emily aside to help her escape when suddenly, they both touch the same stones they saw before, causing two Capsule Monsters to emerge from within. One was Celtic Guardian and the other was Magician's Valkyria. Watching them fight, Max, Yami, and Emily wonder if this is some sort of Capsule Monsters adventure.

Together, the Magician and the Guardian defeat the Great Mantis. They turn around and face Yami and Emily. "For the duration of this game," Celtic Guardian was saying.

"We shall protect you, Masters," Magician's Valkyria finished. Together, she and Celtic Guardian get down and kneel before them. Then a light shines around them and they're drawn into the devices on Yami and Emily's arms. From the devices emerge two small capsules. Yami and Emily pick them up and look at them.

"I was right," said Yami. "I don't know how or why, but we've entered the world of Capsule Monsters."

"I don't know whether to decide if this is cool or scary," said Emily.

"Don't get carried away," Max warned. "This place is more dangerous than you think." Then she heard rumbling nearby. "Who's there?" Max called. "Whoever you are, it's only fair to warn you that we're not alone."

Suddenly, one of the trees in the forest came to life and began attacking the trio. "It's worse than we thought," said Yami. "Even the trees seem to be out to get us in this place." Then the devices on Yami and Emily's arms glow and activate. Now they knew what they were for. They take the capsules from their belts and use their capsule launchers to summon Magician's Valkyria and Celtic Guardian. They try to fight back, but have a hard time trying to counter attack.

"What's going on?" Max asked. "In Duel Monsters, Magician's Valkyria and Celtic Guardian have more attack points than Trent."

"It's as if Trent is resistant to our attacks," Emily wondered.

"Girls, wait, I think you've just given me an idea," said Yami. "Perhaps that monster has some sort of field point advantage because we're battling in the woods."

"Like in the board game," Emily added. "This game is based upon the same principle. This confirms our entire theory that this is all based upon the board game."

"Or maybe Capsule Monsters was based upon this game," Max corrected. "The board game must have been inspired by someone who came here before us."

Then Trent used his branch like a whip and attacked Valkyria from behind. Feeling pain from the same spot where she was attacked, Emily fell and groaned. "Strange, when Valkyria was attacked, I felt it too."

Yami's eyes widened. "Then that means that this is some sort of Shadow Game."

"If we don't do something soon, our Magician and Guardian will both be wiped out," said Emily.

Yami agreed. "And since this is a twisted Shadow Game, who knows what'll happen if we lose."

Max saw some of the trees transforming. "Uh, guys, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that things are about to get worse. It's a whole mutant forest!" And the trio was surrounded by many more Trent monsters. There were too many to fight and the Magician and the Guardian were at a disadvantage. They were tied up by the branches and even felt grips on their necks, causing Yami and Emily to feel like they were choking.

Max had to help them and fast. Then she saw a capsule nearby. She tried to touch it, but Trent grabbed her by the ankle. "Hang on, guys," she groaned, reaching for the capsule. Celtic Guardian sees this and uses his sword to cut the branch and free her. "Thanks. Nice shot." She places her hand on the capsule and a small pyro called Hinotama Soul appears. "I guess I should've warned you: play with me and you're playing with fire." And her monster begins setting the Trent monsters on fire. "This game is really beginning to heat up," said Max. "Good thing I know the rules. When a fire attribute monster attacks a wood attribute monster, well, the results are obvious."

Finally, the trees in the forest began to smolder and there weren't any more monsters in sight. "We're safe," Emily sighed.

"For the time being, anyway," Max corrected.

"Yeah, but who knows how the others are doing," said Yugi. "I'm sure they've realized by now that we're not in India anymore."

The others actually weren't doing any better than Yugi and the girls were. Joey was being carried through the mountains by a winged beast called Kurama and taken to a nest on a cliff where its young resided. The hatchlings seemed harmless at first, but one of the babies almost bit Joey's hand off. He jumped from the cliff, but for some reason, he was unable to open his wings and fly away. Just when he thought he was about to fall to his death, he landed on a branch. It was strong enough to hold him, but there was a capsule hanging from it and when it touched Joey's face, he lost his grip and began falling again.

But Baby Dragon emerged from the capsule and began carrying Joey on his back. Soon they were being chased by a whole flock of Kurama. There were too many to fight and the flock was gaining on them. But Joey saw a small crevice and figured it would be the best place to outrun the flock. The cave was starting to become more narrow, but Joey and Baby Dragon were able to fit though and make their way out. Some Kurama ended up having a hard time fitting through and even got stuck in the opening.

After escaping the flock of Kurama, Baby Dragon brought Joey to a waterfall near the base of the mountain. They went behind the waterfall to hide from the monsters. As Joey sat down, he began looking through his little pocket book. "This guide to India is totally useless. I'm officially lost. I'm telling you, this vacation is starting to turn into one big pain in the butt." Then he saw a red treasure chest in front of him and his frustration turned into excitement. "But things are definitely looking up. It's a treasure chest! I'm rich, baby! This is the greatest vacation ever!"

Baby Dragon just looked at Joey and softly growled. He had no idea what his partner was talking about. Joey places his arm over his partner and tells him, "Hey, pal, don't worry about a thing. Whatever's in there, you and I are splitting 50:50. You and I are gonna be richer than Kaiba! Man, I feel good! My time has arrived. I get to be a spoiled brat!" Baby Dragon still didn't understand what Joey was excited about. Joey approaches the chest and wonders, "What do you think's in there? Gold coins? Diamonds? Maybe a few credit cards? The suspense is killin' me!" Finally, he opens the chest and sees a golden light. "Well, it's shiny." But some sort of carpeting emerges from the chest and wraps itself around Joey.

"So much for my treasure," he groaned. "Don't just stand there, save me!" He asked for it. Baby Dragon puffed his chest and took a deep breath. "No, wait! Don't!" But it was too late. Baby Dragon breathed fire and burned the carpeting off of Joey. But as it looked like it was about to turn to ash, it turned into a rolled up piece of paper.

After cooling off from under the waterfall, Joey unrolls the paper. "Well, it's not treasure, but maybe it's a treasure map," he assumed.

Tristan and Tea managed to escape from the insects in the forest and wind up on a beach. Little did they know that they were followed by two monsters. One of them was Happy Lover and the other was Thunder Kid. Tristan wondered if they emerged from the capsules they touched when they were running through the woods. Seeing that their new monster friends are harmless, Tristan and Tea assume that they're safe, but wonder if the same can be said for the rest of their friends.

Suddenly, the ocean waters began stirring and a blue aquatic monster called Water Root emerged to the surface. Thunder Kid and Happy Lover stepped in front of Tristan and Tea to protect them. It didn't seem like a fair fight because Water Root was more than twice the size and strength of the two monsters. But no matter what the situation, Tristan never backed down from a fight. And since Thunder Kid was his monster, he told him to attack. Tristan remembered that water conducts electricity and since his monster was an electric-type creature, it could seriously damage the opposing monster. But the ocean gave Water Root a home field advantage and it could easily protect itself from Thunder Kid's attacks by creating waves and blasting water like cannons.

Tea knew she had to do something, but Happy Lover was too scared to help. Meanwhile, Tristan was feeling weak from the damage Thunder Kid was taking. "Oh, man," he groaned. "Maybe if I had paid a little more attention to Yugi during his duels, I'd be able to come up with some sort of strategy."

Then Tea remembered what she learned from when Yugi was teaching her how to play Capsule Monsters. Happy Lover has the ability to heal the injuries of its partners. "All right," she tells her monster. "You have a power that might be able to save us. Now let's put it to use." Hearing that, Happy Lover agrees to help out and he uses his power to heal Thunder Kid. Not only was Thunder Kid feeling strong again, but Tristan felt good too and was ready to fight again.

 _Last time we attacked old fish face, he blocked it,_ Tristan thought. _So this time, we need to switch things up. Maybe we can blind him with a sneak attack_. Water Root attacked again, tossing Thunder Kid in the air. Tristan slides across the sand and tosses Thunder Kid again so he can strike from above. Water Root tries to look up, but the sun irritates his vision. Now that he's blind, he can't protect himself from Thunder Kid's electric attack.

It was a great team effort. If Tea and Happy Lover hadn't restored their energy, there was no way they would've won. But when the smoke from the attack started to clear, Tristan and Tea saw that Water Root had evolved into High Tide Gyojin. Tristan was ready to fight, but Thunder Kid didn't share his confidence and began hiding behind the same rock Happy Lover was hiding behind. High Tide Gyojin began creating a typhoon and Tea and Tristan and their monsters were spinning around in the attack. Suddenly, storm clouds appear above High Tide Gyojin and lightning strikes him from above.

As Yugi and the girls were running through the trees, Max asked, "Did you see what I saw?"

"You mean that lightning crash? Yeah," Emily answered.

"I hope the others are all right," said Yugi. Finally, they stopped on a small cliff at the beach. Carefully, they climb down, but as they look around, they see their friends lying on the sand. "It's Tea and Tristan."

"Not to worry, they just needed a little rest, that's all," said a familiar voice. Yugi and the girls turn around and see Solomon. "Howdy. Know where I can find a headband around here?"

"Grandpa, you're safe!" Yugi cried and began hugging him. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" Even Max and Emily were happy all the same to see him. They laughed with Solomon, but what they also found funny was his hairstyle. They had never seen him without his headband on before and thought he looked funny.


	5. Danger at Every Turn

Danger at Every Turn

The group left the beach and found a quiet field where they figured would be the perfect place to set up camp. "So we entered the pyramid and long story short, we ended up here," Emily said to Solomon.

"Same with me. The important thing is that we're all together now."

"Not all," said Yugi. "Joey got here first, which means he's still out there."

"I hope he's having more fun than us," Max said sarcastically. "It's his fault we're stuck here."

Tea places her hand over Yugi's shoulder and assures him, "Don't worry. I'm sure Joey's doing just fine, Yugi."

Tristan agreed. "Joey may be a complete spaz, but let me tell you, he knows how to take care of himself."

"Good point," Max says, standing up. "In fact, if I know Joey, he'll be dropping in to say 'hi' any minute now."

Then all of a sudden, Joey appeared in front of her and was upside-down. "Hi, what's up?" Max was stammering for a second, then she let out what sounded like a yelling groan.

"Okay, now that's just weird," said Emily.

Thanks to Baby Dragon, Joey was right-side up again and on his feet. "Hi, guys. I hope I'm not too late for dinner." Then everyone began eating whatever rations they had with them.

"Now that we're all together again, don't you think it's time we started looking for a way out of here?" Tea asked.

Max faces her and says, "It may have been simple for us to arrive here, but I'm afraid leaving is going to be a bit more challenging. For one, we don't know our way around here and there's something else." To explain what she means, she tells everybody, "As strange as this may sound, I believe we've become part of some sort of real-live version of the Capsule Monsters board game and the only way out may be to win. But this place is enormous and navigating through it could present a bit of a problem."

Then Joey reached into his coat. "I found something that might help us. It looks like some kind of map."

"It matches the one in the pyramid," Solomon said, looking at it.

Instead of looking at the map, Tea was looking at the flowers nearby and it was making her feel uneasy. She could've sworn she saw them move closer to the campfire. Tristan agreed with her and said they weren't this close before. The Millennium Puzzle activates and Yami takes over, telling them to be on their guard. "We seem to be surrounded."

"Uh, guys," Tea moaned. "Since when do flowers have eyes?"

"I don't know, but I say we ask questions later," Joey says, taking a torch and throwing it toward the flowers. What appears to be a field of flowers actually turns out to be a pack of Flower Wolves.

"Now what do we do?" Tea asked.

"We play the game," Yami answered. He activates his capsule launcher and summons Celtic Guardian. Now that Joey and Tristan know how to use the devices on their arms, they summon their monsters as well. Emily and Max load their capsules as well and summon Hinotama Soul and Magician's Valkyria. Solomon tries to summon his monster as well, but sees that the capsule is silver instead of gold. His monster was still recovering from the battle at the beach.

"How tough can these pansy puppies really be," Joey taunted. He and his friends were about to find out. As the pack comes in to attack, everyone's monsters prepare to counter attack. Baby Dragon and Hinotama Soul attack with their flame, Thunder Kid zaps them, Valkyria uses her magic, and Celtic Guardian slays them with his sword. But for every Flower Wolf destroyed, a new pack member takes its place. The monsters were starting to become exhausted and unable to keep fighting. Max and Emily whished this place didn't prohibit them from using their powers. They could easily fight back and escape.

Since there were too many to fight, Yami knew that they had to escape and they needed to blind the Flower Wolves. Celtic Guardian throws his sword in the air and Thunder Kid uses his electric attack to brighten up the vicinity and make light flash everywhere.

With monsters everywhere, it seemed impossible for the group to get a break. "Next time I see a garden with man-eating wolves growing out of it, I'll know exactly what to do," said Tea.

"Yeah, blind them and then run for your life," Tristan sighed.

Joey, optimistic and enthusiastic as ever, decided that this was cause for celebration, so he and Tristan had their own little victory dance. Max wasn't really amused. "They don't seem to realize the dangers of this game as much as we do," she whispers to Emily. "By making contact with capsules, they have their own monsters. And when our monsters are attacked, we feel their pain."

The blonde girl agrees. "That's why we've got to win the game and escape from this place before anyone else gets hurt."

Suddenly, Joey and Tristan find themselves feeling weak and end up falling to the ground. Their stomachs rumble, signaling that they're hungry. "Please, help us. We need food," Joey said weakly.

"Yeah, we're wasting away to nothing," Tristan groaned.

"Wow, you're right," Max was saying, "I can barely see you."

"We're serious here, Max," Joey snapped. Then Tristan remembered that he packed some snacks for the trip. Unfortunately, they were in his suitcase and it was back in the pyramid where Dr. Brismaine was asked to watch over their stuff. Solomon told the boys that they could survive weeks without food, but Joey and Tristan weren't willing to starve themselves. They got up and began running through the forest in hopes of finding something to eat. But they weren't watching where they were going and ended up running into some branches.

"Find any food yet?" Max asks.

"No, but when we do, don't expect us to share," said Joey.

Tristan agreed. "It's finders, keepers."

"So that's how it's going to be?" Tea asked. "Fine, then I guess if I happen to find any food, I get to keep it all to myself."

Fortunately, Emily carried a small knapsack filled with sweets and goodies. Happy to share, she gave Tea some of the freshly baked cookies she brought with her for the trip. Seeing Tea munch on a cookie made Joey and Tristan's mouths water. "Pack of fruit snacks?" She offers to Max.

"Don't mind if I do," Max says, taking them and opening the packet.

"You had a bag of food all along?" Joey and Tristan ask.

"I never said I didn't," Emily replied, giving Yugi and Solomon some macarons. "All you boys had to do was ask nicely."

"Pretty please?" They beg, seeing their friends enjoying their food.

"How do they pack so much flavor into one tiny morsel," Max said, eating her fruit snacks one by one. Joey and Tristan didn't appreciate being teased and said they were sorry.

Yugi was about to take a bite of his macaron until he heard a rumbling sound. "Do guys you hear that?" He asks his friends. The only rumbling Joey and Tristan feel is the rumbling in their stomachs. Feeling it in their heels, Max and Emily wonder if it's an earthquake.

"Hey, guys," Joey says, looking in the distance, "Whoever said you can't move a mountain?"

"It isn't those mountains that are moving, Joey," Max corrected, "We are."

Wondering what's going on, the group leaves the woods and comes to an open area. It seems peaceful at first, but suddenly, something emerges from the water. It turns out that what they're all standing on is the back of an Island Turtle. Island Turtles were usually pretty peaceful creatures who didn't mind any company riding on their backs and they wouldn't attack unless they were provoked, but when Tristan and Joey began having their little victory dance, this Island Turtle found it irritating and was beginning to sink back into the water.

Seeing land nearby, everyone jumps into the water and swims to shore. On the small piece of land appears to be a temple like the one from Joey's map. Just then, the doors opened. "We're not going in there, are we?" Tea asked.

"Apparently, someone wants us to," said Max.

Once again, Yami senses trouble and begins to take over. "Follow me, if we truly have become part of some ancient game, then we need to play along if we expect to escape." Once they enter the temple, the doors seal themselves.

"We're trapped," Emily gasped.

"Great," Max complained. "Why am I not surprised?"

Joey saw a large golden object sitting on the arc of the temple. "So what's with the giant teapot?" But Emily knew a teapot when she saw one and that was no teapot. It was actually a magic lamp and La Jinn, the Genie of the Lamp emerged from within it.

Yami told all of his friends to stay back. "Leave him to me."

 _But why?_ Emily thought to him.

 _I can't help but feel that this is all my fault. And I can't let any harm befall you or the others._

 _This isn't your fault_ , Emily tells him.

Yami pays no attention. He activates his capsule launcher and summons Celtic Guardian. The warrior tries to attack with his Steel Sword, but La Jinn defends himself with ease and fights back. In the board game, the Genie of the Lamp was stronger than the players' monsters.

Things were about to go from bad to worse as the doors opened and water began rushing in. Quickly, the water began to freeze and Solomon and the girls became trapped in ice. The monster responsible for this was Neo Aqua Madoor and he began using his power of ice to attack.

"Please go," Yami tells Joey and Tristan, "Leave these two to me."

"But, Yugi-," Tristan was saying.

Yami interrupts him and says, "I refuse to allow anyone else to get hurt."

"Oh, and you think Tristan and I want to see you get hurt?" Joey asked. Yami wasn't sure how to answer, so Joey told him, "Then why don't you stop trying to be a hero and let us help you out?" With that being settled, he and Tristan activate their capsule launchers and summon Baby Dragon and Thunder Kid. They decide to fight Neo Aqua Madoor and leave Yami to fight La Jinn.

Looking closely at how the monsters were attacking, Yami saw that La Jinn was using the power of fire and Neo Aqua Madoor was using the power of ice. Now he knew how to defeat them and the only way to do it was by working with his friends as a team. "I know what to do, but it won't work without your help. Each of these monsters' strengths is the other one's weakness."

"I see," said Joey, "so we make these two fight."

"Sounds like a plan," said Tristan. Together, everyone prepares their monsters to attack. La Jinn and Neo Aqua Madoor take the bait and launch their attacks, but their opponents dodge their attacks and the two monsters end up destroying each other.

The ice melts and the water recedes, turning Solomon and the girls back to normal. Suddenly, an Egyptian tablet appeared on the arc. "Hey, Gramps, aren't you the one who knows how to read this junk?" Joey asks Solomon.

Yugi's grandfather walks up to the arc to translate the hieroglyphs. "Before the shadows blanket the land, go to the Fortress of Fear. Locate the place where the spirit sleeps and the pathway you seek will appear. But what does it mean?"

"Before the shadows blanket the land," Max repeated. "I bet that means sunset. As for the place where the spirit sleeps, maybe it's some kind of casket."

"But what about this Fortress of Fear?" Emily asked. Joey takes out the map and wonders if it's the temple in the hill. "That must be the place. We have to get there before sundown. Hopefully the pathway we seek is the passage home."

"But that building doesn't look too close," said Tristan.

"And it won't be long before the sun sets," Tea added.

Yugi wouldn't give up. "Come on, we've come way too far in this game to start doubting ourselves now. We can do this. So let's find that Fortress so we can go home." Everyone agrees and tries to think of a way to get to the Fortress.

It was times like these when Joey wished he could fly. If he had his wings, getting to the Fortress of Fear wouldn't be much of a challenge. The group didn't have time to build a boat and they didn't want to risk swimming in the river. Inside the temple, Max found an underground passage that would hopefully lead them close to the hill where the Fortress was.

The end of the passage led them to an open field. Joey was the first to come out and look around. "Does anybody besides me find this place creepy?"

"No," Max replied. "After everything we've been through, it'll take more than a couple of rocks to creep me out."

"Where are we anyway?"

"I wish you didn't have to ask," Joey told Emily. He looked at the map and answered that the underground passage brought them to an ancient graveyard. Then the sound of cawing began to freak him out. "Whaa! It's a ghost!"

"How about it's just a bunch of crows," Max asks, seeing the flock in the air. "What are you so scared of anyway?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say rocks and birds," said Tea.

"I had a bad experience with birds, okay?" Joey whined. Suddenly, the sound of voices began to fill the area. "What's that noise?"

"Maybe it's just more crows," Tea wondered.

"Be cautious just in case," Solomon warned.

Once again, Yami began to take over. "Follow my lead and stay close. Whatever's out there doesn't sound too friendly."

Then Tea saw some zombies and ghouls emerging from the ground. "Oh, man. They don't look too friendly either." This wasn't a minor setback. They needed to get past these monsters so they could resume their path to the Fortress of Fear. Everyone activates their capsule launchers and summons their Capsule Monsters.

It was turning out to be like the battle with the Flower Wolves and everyone knew they needed extra help. Joey touches a capsule nearby and releases Flame Swordsman. Max joins him and her new monster is the Angel of Death. Frightened, Tea and Emily hold each other. Yami sees that they're in trouble and he pushes them so they avoid getting attacked. In the process, they touch more capsules and release Kuriboh, Watapon, and Dark Witch. Flame Swordsman uses his Flaming Sword of Battle, Dark Witch uses her Shining Scepter, and the Angel of Death uses her Scythe of the Fallen. Together, they defeated the zombies and ghouls and continued their path to the Fortress of Fear.


	6. Fortress of Fear

Fortress of Fear

The hill had a stairwell leading to the Fortress of Fear. Getting to the top wasn't easy, but they managed to make it before sunset. "Wow," Tea said, catching her breath, "it's amazing."

"Well, it would've been just as amazing at the bottom of the hill," Tristan complained.

Joey takes a deep breath and exhales. "Come on, this was a piece of cake."

"Actually, with our luck, it could've been worse," said Max. But she spoke too soon as walls appeared and surrounded themselves around the Fortress. "Now we'll never get in before nightfall."

"Please, the seven of us could easily push that wall down," said Joey. Altogether, they use their strength to try and budge the wall. It wasn't good for Solomon to use too much strength because he could hurt himself. Feeling a pain in his back, he stopped pushing.

The team needed another alternative, so they looked around for another opening. But there wasn't another door or even a crack a termite could slip through. The walls just had statues of the six charmers representing the six attributes in the game: Aussa of Earth, Hiita of Fire, Wynn of Wind, Eria of Water, Dharc of Darkness, and Lyna of Light. Looking at the statues, Yugi wondered if they held the solution to getting in.

Once again, Joey wished he had his wings for situations like these. Then he got an idea and decided to ride Baby Dragon over the walls. But there was a barrier that kept him from gaining entry. Solomon got the idea of using his Summoned Skull to blast the wall to smithereens. But even his Lightning Strike was useless.

Yugi was starting to become frustrated. _If this really is a game, then there's got to be a solution. But how can I solve the riddle if I don't even know what the riddle is? Now think._ Then he saw one of the lights on the wall blocking the entrance. "Look, guys. See how that square is glowing?" His friends follow his gaze and see the same light. Just then, it went out. "I think I may know what's going on."

Joey grabs him by the collar of his jacket and begins shaking him. "Well, spit it out already, will ya?"

Max comes up from behind him and holds him back. "Drop it, Wheeler!"

"As I was saying, I think that image on the door is the key to getting in," continued Yugi. "See that square in the middle? It represents the Fortress. The outer rectangle represents the four walls surrounding it."

"It's interesting, but what does it tell us?" Tristan asked.

"It tells us that the six little squares represent the six statues in front of the walls," he answered.

"Wait, so when all six glow, we can get in?" Tea asked.

Yugi nods. "Hey, Grandpa, do you remember what position you were standing in just a minute ago?" Solomon answered that he was standing straight with his arms down like Wynn. He took his stance again and the square lit up again with a green light. "Of course, whenever someone mimics the stance of the statues, the corresponding square lights up."

"So all we have to do is strike a pose like the other five statues and the door will open," Emily said in conclusion. Everyone else got in front of the other statues and began mimicking their stances.

Max went up to the statue of Dharc and had her arms crossed. "Yup, I feel like an idiot."

Yugi saw a purple light shining on the wall. "Good job, Max. Another light went up."

Joey took the same stance as Aussa and had his fingers between his eyes like he was adjusting a pair of glasses. "How long do we have to stand like this?"

Tristan had his hands raised like fists the same way Hiita had hers. "Anything happening, Yugi?"

"Yup, both of your lights went up," he answered, seeing the red and yellow lights.

Tea took the same stance as Eria and had her arms open like she was welcoming someone to be embraced by her and Emily took the same stance as Lyna by having one hand on her hip. The wall in front of Yugi began to sink back into the ground. "Yugi, in order to keep the door open, we need to stay in these positions. So you'll have to enter the Fortress and find that casket on your own," said Emily.

"Our fates are in your hands," said Joey.

"Because we can't move ours," Tristan added.

"You can do this, Yugi," Tea encouraged.

"All right," said Yugi. "I promise I'm going to get us all out of this place." And he went inside the Fortress of Fear. He saw what looked like a casket sitting on an arc. It seemed too easy to find, but as Yugi walked across the floor, a panel below him disappeared and he fell into a pit.

Outside, Joey was having a hard time keeping his stance. His arm was getting sore and he needed to sit down. He lost his grip and lowered his arm to relax it. Because Joey couldn't keep his stance anymore, the door to the Fortress sealed itself again. It got worse when the statues of the six Charmers came to life and began attacking everybody.

Inside the pit of the Fortress, the walls began closing in on Yugi and were about to crush him. Quickly, Yami began to take over and Kuriboh began calling to him and Yugi through his capsule. Yami summons Kuriboh and wonders what he's trying to say. The little monster saw a capsule on a ledge and directed Yami to it. The pharaoh jumped and was able to reach the ledge, but couldn't touch the capsule. Kuriboh gave him a nudge and helped him to touch it. When he did, a light filled the area.

Yami opened his eyes and saw himself being carried above the Fortress of Fear by Dark Magician. Looking down, he saw his friends and their Capsule Monsters being attacked by the six statues. He and Yugi got the same idea of attacking with Magical Crossroads, a power that allowed Dark Magician to surround his allies in magic and destroy all opposing monsters in the trails of light. Five of the Charmers end up being destroyed. Solomon helps out to finish off Wynn by attacking with Summoned Skull, but the fiend gets caught in the blast as well.

With the statues of the six Charmers defeated, the walls surrounding the Fortress of Fear come down. Yugi knows he doesn't have much time left, so he hurries back inside and makes it to the arc. With only a few seconds to spare, he removes the lid covering the casket. The casket then lifts itself up and a great light shines inside revealing what looks like a golden armored vest. Yugi looked and noticed that it looked just like the one from his nightmare.

"Yugi," Joey called.

Yugi turned around and saw him and Tristan trying to help his grandfather. "What happened?"

"Mr. Muto's monster got caught in the blast and was destroyed," Max answered.

Solomon releases himself and walks up to the arc. "We've got more important things to worry about like deciphering this message," he says, seeing the hieroglyphs on the lid of the casket. "It reads: Pass through this doorway and thy journey shall start. Five trials will follow to test thy heart. But I warn you, this journey is not for the weak. Only a true warrior can unearth what you seek." Then the armor attached itself to Yugi.

"What's with the armor vest," asked Tristan.

"I don't know, but I have to say, it's quite the fashion statement," said Tea.

"Don't you see what's going on here?" Solomon asked. "It mentioned a true warrior, so you can't enter without wearing that armor."

"This is crazy, guys," Yugi debated, "I'm not a warrior!"

"Yugi, please," his grandfather tells him, "taking this journey is our only way of escaping."

Joey agrees and says, "So let's do this!"

"Are you sure?" Yugi asks.

"Of course not," Joey answered, "but what the hey, right?"

"To be honest, it wouldn't be normal if we weren't on some crazy adventure anyway," said Emily.

"So let's get out there and do our thing," said Tea. So they walk into the light wondering where they'll end up next.


	7. The Whisper that Rides the Desert Wind

The Whisper that Rides the Dessert Wind

The group was transported in the middle of a desert and was unsure of what to do. The message they received in the Fortress mentioned having to face five trials. Solomon found himself feeling weak again. Losing a monster in battle was literally a painful price to pay in a Shadow Game. Emily really wished she was allowed to use her powers in this world. Her healing magic would make Yugi's grandfather feel good as new. Then Tea got an idea. If the healing ability of her Happy Lover worked on monster allies, then maybe it can work on her human friends too. So she summoned Happy Lover and asked him to help out.

But it didn't work. Solomon was still in a bit of pain. Right now, the team decided that the best thing to do would be to get Yugi's grandfather someplace where he could rest. Joey was the first to take off and start running, but the sand made him slip and tumble down a hill. As he was rubbing the sand off of himself, Joey saw some tents in the distance. "Look guys, either that's a mirage or we're not alone."

Together, they walk toward the tents and see that they're real. "Who would live in a village in the middle of a desert?" Tristan asked.

"Apparently no one," Max assumed. But she was wrong. Some people were peeking outside of their houses, but quickly closed the flaps to avoid eye contact. "This town could use a welcoming committee."

Then a young girl approached the group. "We've been waiting for you."

"What do you mean by 'waiting'?" Joey asked nervously.

She turns her back and answers by saying, "Follow me and you'll find out." And she brings them to the tent owned by the village elder. "The visitors are here," she whispers to him. The elder nods and brings out a scroll. The girl takes it and presents it to the group on his behalf. "The elder wants you to have this. It will guide you on your journey."

The scroll contains a message in Egyptian hieroglyphs. The contents read: _'Trial number 1: Silence the whisper that rides the desert wind._ '

"This must be the first test," Yugi wondered.

"Seems to make sense," said Tea. She faces the elder and asks him, "Is this one of the five trials the riddle in the tablet was taking about?" But she got no answer.

Just then, the wind blew outside and carried a sinister voice saying, "Turn back."

Emily turned around and gasped. "Wait, so that's-?"

"The whisper that rides the desert wind," the young girl answers.

"Well, whatever's out there can't be worse than the other monsters we've faced, right?" Max asks. Then sinister chuckling from the same voice is heard again.

"Any last words of advice before we go out there?" Tea asked.

As a matter of fact, the girl did have something to say that would be helpful to the group. "As we have learned from our last visitor, the answer lies in the eye of the storm."

"Hold on a second," Max was saying. "What do you mean by your last visitor?"

"Yeah, are you saying there were people who faced these challenges before us?" Emily asked.

"Only one other person has ever come through here, but that was a long time ago," the child answered. Everyone was curious, but soon decided that maybe they were better off not knowing what happened to the previous traveler. The young girl unhooks the chain carrying a pendant around her neck. "Please, take this. You'll need it."

Tea lowers herself so she can secure the pendant around her neck. It was purple like amethyst and shaped like a pentagon. "But what does it do?"

"It will become clear when the time is right." Hearing cackling again, the team leaves the tent and heads back out into the desert.

The wind started to pick up and sand was blowing everywhere. The trial was about to begin. "How the heck are we supposed to find a wandering voice that travels with the wind?" Joey asked.

"Leave this place," said the mysterious voice.

Everyone looked around, wondering where the voice was coming from. Then Max felt a strange movement in her heels. "There's something below us!" She and the others move away and a Medusa Worm emerges from below the sand. Without any monsters left to fight, Solomon tries to get someplace safe. Yami takes over and he and the others summon their Capsule Monsters. Joey's Flame Swordsman tried to attack, but the Medusa Worm burrowed its way back below the ground. The desert gave it a home field advantage. When it came up again, Dark Magician landed an attack.

But the voice wasn't coming from the Worm. The voice was still cackling and the wind was picking up again, making it difficult for any of the team to see. More Medusa Worms emerged from the ground and began attacking. "Give up, Pharaoh," the voice cackled.

Yami groaned as he tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't. "Not only can't I see those Worms, but I can barely see my friends."

"Where'd everybody go?" Joey called. He looked around and managed to see the silhouette of another Medusa Worm. Flame Swordsman was able to save him in the nick of time. "Whoa, that was too close."

"This storm is ridiculous," Tristan moaned. "Is anyone out there or what?" Then he heard a noise nearby and saw a silhouette. It was hard to know whose shape it was. For all Tristan knew, an enemy was about to surprise and attack him. So he told his Thunder Kid to attack.

Joey heard it too and told his Flame Swordsman to attack the figure nearby. Little do Joey and Tristan know that they're attacking each other until they feel the pain their monsters are feeling. "Tristan, what's the deal?"

"I thought you were an enemy," he apologized.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't mistake me for a Worm!" Tea cried.

"Everyone, listen to me," Yami called out, "hold your fire until the storm lets up or we'll destroy each other!"

The sinister voice cackled once again. "The sand shall swallow you all!" The storm started to become more violent and everyone could no longer see their Capsule Monsters even when they were right next to each other. "Give up; fighting is futile! Turn back, you fools! I'm invincible!"

Yami soon realized that the solution to this was written in the scroll. He and his friends had to silence the voice riding the desert wind. "The Worms are just a distraction," he tells his friends. "Our real objective is silencing the voice in the voice in the wind!"

"But where's it coming from?" Emily asked.

"We have to find out soon or we'll be buried alive in the sand," Max shouted.

"You're too late, humans," the voice said and cackled.

Since the group couldn't see, they couldn't decide where to go. They were stranded and now easy prey to the Medusa Worms. The sludge regurgitated by the Worms got splashed on the players and slowly began petrifying them. Yami was about to get sludge dumped on him as well, but Dark Magician swooped in for the rescue and began carrying him to the surface where everything is clear. "Behold the source of the storm."

Yami looked and saw a twister in the distance. He and Yugi remembered what the girl from the village said before they left; the answer lies in the eye of the storm. Dark Magician brings him back down to his friends and sees them becoming petrified. "We've got to get to the eye of the storm before everyone turns to stone."

"We've all been attacked by those Medusa Worms, so it's up to you," said Emily.

Dark Magician sees more Worms coming to attack and he quickly destroys them. Yami couldn't risk losing his trusty monster, so he withdrew his mage. Without any monsters, getting past the Worms will be more difficult. Thankfully, Dark Magician was able to show him and Yugi the way, so the best thing they can do is walk straight ahead. It was a dangerous gamble, but Yami and Yugi had to take it. They manage to get past the Medusa Worms and hear the voice getting louder as it taunts them.

"We're almost there," said Yugi. "Don't give up."

"But the storm is too strong."

"Remember, the eye of a storm is always calm. We just have to get inside."

"But I can barely stand."

Yugi encouraged his partner again. "You can do this!"

Yami began walking again, but he felt his feet sinking deeper into the sand as he was getting closer to the twister. "Come on," he groaned. "Just a little closer." But he found it becoming difficult to walk and ended up falling forward.

Another voice began speaking to Yami. "Ye who draws near, the secret to this trial lies within the sacred armor you now wield."

Yami looks and sees a man wearing a green cloak and a golden helmet and mask. "Who goes there? Are you the whispering voice?"

"I am here to guide you," the masked man answered.

"Then tell me what to do," Yami pleaded. "I need help. Please, sir."

"Merge together with your most trusted creature to become the Dark Warrior."

The pharaoh found himself standing on his feet again. Trusting in the mysterious man and in his own instincts, Yami believes he knows what to do now. He summons Dark Magician and taps into the power of his duel armor. "Join with me to become one!" And he becomes dressed like the mage and is carrying a scepter and even has a pair of wings. "Now it's time to silence that evil voice!"

"Let's go into the eye of the storm!" Yugi cried.

The voice taunted them both once again and said, "You'll have to get past my Worms first." But Yami takes them down with ease and charges into the twister. It turned out the voice belonged to a desert witch called Mystical Sand.

"So you're the whisper that rides the desert wind," said Yami. "Very well, prepare to be silenced!" Mystical Sand summons more monsters to attack, but with the power of the Dark Magician, the pharaoh destroys all that's being thrown at him. "Never again shall you utter a sound! Farewell!" And he uses his Dark Magic to attack and destroy Mystical Sand.

Finally, the storm subsides and the petrification process reverses on itself. "I'm glad that's over because stone was not a good look on me," Max said as she saw her arm turning back to normal.

"All I need is the feeling back in my legs," Emily said, moving them around.

"Hey, guys," Tea says, looking around, "anyone see Yugi?"

They all look and see Yami standing on one of the nearby dunes. "What's with the new look?" Max asked.

"I merged with Dark Magician," he answered.

"Very cool," said Emily. "How'd you do that?"

"I was guided by a man wearing a mask. At least, I'm also sure he was in there with me." His friends didn't doubt him. In fact, they wondered if they could get any cool powers too. The duel armor dispels its power and Yami transforms back to himself. Feeling fatigued from the fight, he loses consciousness.

Yugi decides to take over so his partner can rest. But the battle affected him too. His spirit was fresh, but his body was weak. "Wow, I didn't realize it at the time, but I guess that battle really took its toll on me."

His grandfather agreed. "If I had to guess, activating that armor must've drained some of your energy as well."

"Your body's not used to the ordeal," said Emily. She and Max were like him when they first started practicing magic and were just learning about their powers.

Tristan looked and wondered what happened to the village nearby. Joey wondered if it got blown away by the sandstorm. Then Tea saw a shrine nearby and said the statues looked just like the people from the village. "If this really is a game, then I guess the people here are just meant to help us or something." Then the pendant around her neck changed from purple to red. "That's weird. One of the five shapes on this pendant lit up."

Suddenly, a large door came up from below the ground. "If I had to guess, this door must lead us to our next test," said Yugi.

Max agreed. "If we passed the first trial, it would explain why this door showed up and why the jewel around Tea's neck started glowing."

"Just think," Emily was saying, "if we keep kicking butt at this rate, we'll be home sooner than we think."

The doors opened up and revealed a great light. "Whoever designed this game sure has a thing for walking into bright lights," said Joey.

"Well, you got to admit, it is dramatic," said Tristan, and everyone walked through the door.


	8. Trial of Light and Shadows

Trial of Light and Shadows

The wind wasn't too rough, but it wasn't too gentle either. And the sun was more than bright also. Either the group was transported to the top of the tallest mountain ever or they were standing on an island floating above the clouds. Yugi was feeling weak again and it wasn't because of the altitude. Now Emily really wished she could cast a healing spell on him.

Yugi was taken to a small cave nearby where he could rest. Tea summoned Happy Lover to heal him, but only by so much. Yugi still had a headache and his muscles were sore. This was more serious than any of his friends realized. The duel armor took a greater toll on his body than any of them think.

A scroll suddenly appeared at the front of the cave. "Why don't you do the honors, Gramps?" Joey asks, giving the scroll to Solomon.

"As if anyone else can," Max smartly stated.

Yugi's grandfather read the riddle anyway. The contents read: ' _Once a day, the Unbreakable Stone appears in the Valley of Light. To achieve the impossible, fight with a power that's greater than physical might_.' "Looks like we have quite the challenge ahead."

Joey shakes his head. "This sounds like a piece of cake."

Tea and Emily looked back in concern for Yugi. "Tea, Emily," Max was telling them. "You're worried about Yugi, aren't you?" Seeing them nod, she smiles and suggests, "Why don't the both of you stay here and I'll help the guys?"

"You mean it?" Emily asks. Max nods back. In appreciation towards her friend, Emily smiles at Max. "We'll be praying for you."

"Thanks. We'll be back." And she and the others head out to find the Valley of Light. The island wasn't very big and there was only one valley for miles. It was dark when they got down, but then the place lit up. It made sense to Max and to Solomon. The island was above the clouds and when the sun is directly overhead, this place becomes the Valley of Light. And it didn't take long for them to find the Unbreakable Stone either.

It wasn't called 'unbreakable' for nothing. Tristan summoned Thunder Kid and ordered an attack, but his monster's attack was useless. Then Max heard a strange sound and looked up, seeing a small monster coming down. It was a little human-shaped monster made of glass. It didn't look like much of a threat, but Max was the only one who was on her guard. Joey summoned Flame Swordsman and together, he and Thunder Kid attacked the glass monster.

Joey got carried away and charged right into battle, unaware that he was in his Swordsman's way and preventing him from attacking. The monster tried to attack, but Joey dealt a punch and knocked it down. "I cracked his jaw," Joey boasted.

"So what?" Tristan asked.

"I weakened him!"

"Big deal," the brunette scoffed. "I'll show you how it's really done."

"Oh, no, you don't," the blonde argued. "This guy's mine."

"We've already seen what you can do, now leave it to a real man."

"Oh, so I do all the work and then you step in and steal all the glory?"

"You call blocking your own attack doing all the work?"

Max and Solomon tried to keep their tempers, but Joey and Tristan's bickering wasn't getting them anywhere. Finally, Max had enough and had an outburst. "You're on the same team!" she hollers. "Now start acting like it!" The blonde and brunette break it up and quickly decide to work together. Before they can declare an attack, the sun blinds them.

Thanks to Max's powers of darkness, she couldn't be blinded by even the brightest light. Then she saw the monster taking in the light and using it to attack. She realized what the monster was about to do. "Look out!" she shouts, and light comes at them like a laser. "Just as I thought. That creature has the ability to absorb light and focus it into a laser beam. And because this island is above the clouds, the sun's rays are extremely intense." And the monster began striking them again.

"Max, leave that monster to me," Joey told her. "You and Tristan and Gramps focus on finding a way to break the Stone!"

"You can't fight that thing alone!" Max protested.

"This is no time to argue!" Joey shouts, and his Flame Swordsman attacks.

The glass creature tries to attack Tristan, but he dodges it in time. "Close call," he sighed. "A few seconds later and that beam would've put a hole in me instead of the Stone." He interrupts himself, realizing what he just said. The Unbreakable Stone had been damaged. He got an idea and began drawing the monster's attention from his friends by taunting it. And it was working. The monster was giving in to Tristan's taunting and attacking him with everything it had. Joey and Solomon assumed Tristan was in trouble, but Max could see that the brunette knew what he was doing.

Back in the cave, Yugi was having another nightmare. The same monster from before was chasing Yami through a field of darkness. The pharaoh tried to tap into the power of his duel armor, but when he merged with Dark Magician, he quickly turned back to his current self. Yugi quickly snapped out of it and woke up.

Tea and Emily had been taking turns standing guard and watching out for their friends. The sun didn't bother Emily and she didn't mind waiting outside a little longer. She even insisted that her best friends would stay inside where it was cool. They had been switching places between ten minutes. Tea came outside and told Emily she could go inside now. "All right, Emily, I think you've been out here long enough. It's your turn to go inside and cool off."

"It's okay, Tea. You stay and look after Yugi."

"I know the heat doesn't bother you, but you've been out here for a long time."

"Because I'm looking out for you too," Emily tells her. "By staying out here, I'm making sure both of my best friends stay safe."

Tea appreciated it, but now it was her turn. "Thanks, Emily. And I care about you too. That's why I think you should go back inside. You're Yugi's friend too and it's fair that you should be with him."

Emily finally gave in. "Okay, but if it gets to be too much for you, let me know." Before she heads back to the cave, she looks down and sees the scroll. "Uh-oh, Max and the guys forgot the instructions for the second trial."

"What instructions?" asked Yugi's voice. The girls saw him coming out of the cave looking well again. All he really needed was some rest after all. This made Tea and Emily very happy. "Where are the others?"

"They left to face the second trial," Emily says, showing him the scroll.

Yugi couldn't read any of the hieroglyphs, but Yami could, so he let him take control. "The trial of light and shadows. Once a day, the Unbreakable Stone appears in the Valley of Light. To achieve the impossible, fight with a power that's greater than physical might." Yami knew right away that this was only half a riddle. The message spoke only of light and the passage of darkness had to have been written somewhere else.

Tea was feeling weary from the heat. "Let's think about this in the shade before I pass out."

Yami silently gasped. "Tea, you're a genius! You solved it!" Emily giggled, thinking the exact same thing.

The brunette was confused. "All I did was complain about the heat." That wasn't the only thing she did. When Tea suggested that they read the riddle in the shade, the second half of the challenge was revealed. But when Yami read the contents, he had a bad feeling that the rest of their friends were in danger.

Tristan was still holding his own very well against the monster. The Unbreakable Stone was almost close to being shattered too. To help him complete the task, Max summons her Angel of Death and she and Joey use themselves as decoys to keep the monster occupied. Thunder Kid uses his electric attack again and this time, the Unbreakable Stone turns to rubble.

"Nicely handled, Tristan!" Max cheered.

"Thanks, Max. I knew if I'd get that walking science experiment to put some cracks in that rock, my Thunder Kid and I could easily handle the rest."

"Brilliant," Solomon complemented.

Tristan was flattered. "Thanks, and don't forget talented and charming," he says, showing a flashing smile.

"Not to mention funny," Joey added. "But, hey, looks aren't everything, right?" Max chuckled at that.

The glass creature began having a fit and was unleashing its lasers everywhere in the Valley. To finish it off, Flame Swordsman uses his Flaming Sword of Battle and attacks it. The team was about to celebrate, but soon another stone cracked and another monster emerged from it. It was a warrior with blades for arms and he was proving to be stronger than the glass monster. Flame Swordsman and Thunder Kid tried to attack, but he deflected their attack and tried to slash them.

"Pull back," Max cried. "Our Capsule Monsters don't stand a chance against it!"

Finally, Yami, Tea, and Emily found the rest of their friends. Just as the pharaoh feared, they were under attack. He summoned Dark Magician and activated the power of his duel armor, becoming one with the mage. "Let the final phase of this trial begin!" The warrior tried to slash him with his blades, but Yami managed to fend him off and use his Dark Magic attack. Joey was about to have his Swordsman finish him off, but Yami stopped him and a treasure chest appeared in the place where the Unbreakable Stone stood. "The second half of the riddle explains everything. We already passed."

"There was more?" Solomon asked.

"That's right. The part you read only described the first half of the challenge. But when exposed to the darkness, the rest of the message appeared. And this final piece of the puzzle was necessary in order to solve it. The riddle continued as follows: When light is extinguished, the true test begins, for a creature of darkness it brings. But only the righteous and peaceful shall pass and receive the endowment of wings." And Yami walks up to the treasure chest and opens it, revealing a pair of wings for all of the players. "Once this treasure chest appeared, this monster was no longer a threat. So I stopped Joey's attack thus proving we were righteous and peaceful."

"Well played, my young friends," said a familiar voice.

"Who's there?" Yami asked. He and his friends turn around and see the same masked man from before.

"This trial was a test of your character. Had you gone on to attack the creature of darkness, you would have failed. But by choosing the higher path, you have proven your worth once again."

"Who are you?" Emily asked.

"And why do you know so much about this place?" Yami added.

"My name is of no consequence, Pharaoh and Princess, but I assure you I appear as a friend. I oversee these trials. Congratulations, you have completed level two."

The pendant around Tea's neck glowed once again. "He's right, guys. The second piece of the pendant lit up."

"Three trials now remain and the most difficult tests are yet to come." The stranger turns around, but before he takes his leave, Yami asks him to wait. "You have a question?"

"Yes. What will happen to us if we fail?"

"You will be trapped here until the next warrior comes," the masked man answered.

"And if we pass these trials, what will happen then?"

"You will have proven yourself a true king and the power you deserve shall be yours," the stranger says and begins walking.

"Wait, but I don't want any power," Yami tells him.

"There are those that do and you must claim this power before they do." And with that, the stranger disappears.

The group leaves the Valley of Light and straps their wings on their arms. The path to the next trial appears to be a door in the sky. Out of concern, Tea and Emily ask Yugi if he's feeling strong enough to go on. He insists that he's feeling just fine.

Tristan sighs and apologizes. "Hey, man, I'm sorry we had to rely on you to bail us out again. I thought for once, we could give you a break from having to save the day. But in the end, I guess we're useless without you."

Max disagreed. "You displayed great leadership back there. Did you forget all those brilliant ideas you came up with? We're a great team."

Joey nods in agreement. "All for one and one for all!" And they head out and fly to the door leading to the third trial.


	9. Trial of Chaos

Trial of Chaos

No one seemed to be more annoyed about this game than Tristan was. "First we get stranded in a desert, then we get trapped on a floating island, and now we get dumped off in some prehistoric lava covered wasteland." Tristan was so busy complaining, he didn't realize how close he was to falling from the ledge until he slipped.

"Tristan, how about paying attention instead of complaining?" Joey reprimanded. Solomon agreed and tried to help Tristan get back on the ground, but he slipped too. Now he and the brunette were hanging for dear life.

Everyone else was able to get the three of them back up safely. "I need a vacation," Solomon sighed.

This time, Tea was the one complaining. "This was supposed to be a vacation, not some twisted life-threatening game. I want out."

"We all do," Emily was telling her, "but the only way for us to get out of here is to pass the rest of the trials."

"Just leave it to me," Joey immediately said. "I'm sure there's a clue nearby, so you guys take a load off and let me handle this. I won't come back without a clue," Joey said as he began running off.

"That's impossible," Max tells him. "You're always clueless!"

Emily takes her hand and figures it would be best to give their friend the benefit of the doubt. "He's been making rash decisions ever since we've known him and things always seem to work out."

Max faces Emily and tells her, "Maybe that's because his friends are always there to bail him out."

"Give him a break," said Tea. "He's only trying to help. The best thing we can do is be supportive." She raises her voice and tells the blonde lad, "You can do it, Joey! Find that clue!"

"And when you do, find someone with a brain to figure it out," Max added.

Yugi told his friends to give Joey more credit. If it hadn't been for Joey's enthusiasm, the gang would never have come to India in the first place. It was because of this matter that the gang was able to have come to the world of the Capsule Monsters and find Yugi's grandpa. And if he hadn't found the map, the whole group would never have been able to find their way around.

What made this a great team was that everyone had their strengths. Yugi had his courage and leadership, Max was clever and reliable, Tristan had strength and spirit, Tea was a healer, Solomon could decipher the Egyptian writing on the scrolls, and Emily had her big heart. But Yugi wondered if everyone's roles in this game ran deeper than they thought. His grandfather came here in the first place to learn about the origin of the game such as who created it and why.

That wasn't the only thing on Yugi's mind. He couldn't stop thinking about the masked man. And if what he said back there about people wanting power was true, then it meant that someone else was playing the game too. But Yugi and his friends hadn't come across any other players since they started playing the game.

Max saw the clue Joey volunteered to look for. It was on the other side of the lava pit, so she summoned her Angel of Death to retrieve it. Max takes the scroll and withdraws her monster. "Okay, Mr. Muto. Do your thing," she says, giving him the scroll.

He clears his throat and reads the contents. "To gain the prize of thy desire, locate the peak that spits fire. The Blade of Chaos, thou must release to bring about the lasting peace." Sure enough, the peak that spits fire is the nearby volcano. As for the Blade of Chaos, what could the challenge be in releasing a sword? To Emily, this sounded like the story of King Arthur and the mighty blade Excalibur.

Joey remembered that each challenge started with a riddle written on a scroll. He also knew that finding it wouldn't be easy. Just then, he heard screeching. It was Red-Eyes Black Dragon and she was flying in the air violently like she was looking for a fight. "After all we've been through, this is how you treat me?" Joey asked. Red-Eyes was coming back to attack again. Joey couldn't bring himself to summon a Capsule Monster. To him, fighting his faithful friend meant fighting his lost love from long ago. No matter what was going on with Red-Eyes, Freya's soul still lived inside the Black Dragon. When Red-Eyes swooped down again, Joey realized that she didn't want to fight either. She wasn't trying to attack Joey. He thought he could help her, so he jumped on the Black Dragon's back when she came back down. But something strange started happening.

The rest of the team was climbing up the volcano. The problem was it was steep and hot, making it difficult to keep going. Tristan almost fell into the lava pit again, but then by some miracle, he touched a capsule and summoned Thunder Dragon. The rest of his friends got the same idea and used their Capsule Monsters to get to the top of the volcano. Since Emily didn't have any airworthy monsters, Tristan let her ride with him. Dark Witch and the Angel of Death carried Max and Tea. Yami took control and summoned Dark Magician so he could activate his duel armor. With the wings and additional strength, he could carry Yugi's grandfather and fly to the top as well.

As they get closer, they see what appears to be the Blade of Chaos. The riddle said they needed to release the sword to bring about peace. Perhaps the chaos was the flow of lava from the volcano and the sword had to be released to stop it and restore peace. Yami decided to be the one to draw the Blade of Chaos, so he started on his way to the top. But a blast of fire stopped him. Standing on top of the peak was Joey and he was wearing what looked like armor made from Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Joey, what happened to you?"

Joey chuckled. "Don't play dumb with me. It's the same thing that happened to you. I merged together with my favorite monster. And now that I've gotten a little power boost, I figure I'll be finishing up this game without you losers."

"Oh, yeah?" Tristan asks.

Max holds up her hand to stop him. "Take it easy. That's not Joey talking. He appears to be under the control of an evil force."

Emily agreed and could sense it too. "Just look at his eyes. They're red like the color ruby. And listen to his voice. It sounds like someone is speaking through him."

"You're just jealous 'cause I'm stronger," Joey boasted. "And now I'll prove it!" Using the power of Red-Eyes Black Dragon, he attacks with Inferno Fire Blast.

"My friends!" gasped Yami.

"Why don't you try worrying about yourself for a change?" Joey asks and begins attacking him.

"You must stop this," Yami tells him. "Believe me, you're not in your right mind!" But Joey keeps attacking him without giving his opponent a chance to fight back.

"We can't fight against our best friend," Yugi cried.

"He isn't giving us much of a choice," Yami groaned. Finally, he manages to wave his scepter and attack with his magic.

Joey growled. "So that's how it's gonna be. Big mistake!" The girls were right that someone else was controlling his body, but his spirit remained inside. _What am I doing? Something happened when I fused with Red-Eyes, but now I can't seem to control myself. I gotta break free. Yugi, I don't want to fight you, pal, but I'm trapped and this armor seems to have a mind of its own_. He tried to regain control, but continued to fight with Yami.

As the others were recovering from the attack, they noticed that the Blade of Chaos was sinking into the volcano. If they didn't hurry, the sword would be gone and they would remain trapped in the game. With her friends occupied with the battle, Max hurries to reach the Blade of Chaos. Seeing this, Joey attacks her. "That's for all you put me through in the past!"

The attack forces Max to slip from the top of the peak. Fortunately, she sees a capsule nearby and touches it, unleashing Harpy's Pet Dragon. "Don't worry about me," she tells her friends. "Just concentrate on releasing the Blade of Chaos!" They agree and make it to the top. They grip the Blade's tail and try to pull it from the volcano, but it continues to sink deeper. Even with the strength of four, the sword is impossible to remove. And Joey decides to make sure it stays that way by attacking his friends. "Emily, Tea, Tristan, Grandpa," Max cries, seeing them fall. "Are you guys all right?"

"I'm fine, but I think we need a new plan," said Emily.

"You're right," Solomon tells her. "Joey's too strong. We have no choice but to take him down."

"It's the only thing we can do," Max said in agreement. "Every time one of us tries to approach the Blade of Chaos, Joey will make sure neither of us can reach it. We have to fight back. Joey may get hurt, but we have to risk it."

The others don't want to go through with it, but they know they must. Tristan summons Thunder Kid and Thunder Dragon, Tea summons Dark Witch, and Emily summons Magician's Valkyria. "We have to attack simultaneously," Max tells them, "but don't fire until we have a clear shot."

When Yami and Joey collide, their spirits connect and are able to communicate. "Yugi, you gotta help me, pal," Joey pleaded.

"Sure, but how? What's going on?"

"Something was wrong with the Dragon's mind," Joey tells his friend, "so when we merged together, I got affected."

"Wait, so now I have to break whatever spell was controlling the Red-Eyes Black Dragon?"

"That's right," Joey answers. "You want to know how? Destroy her!"

Yugi's eyes widen. "But that means I could destroy you also!"

"I know, pal, but you got no choice. If you don't do this, the game's over!" And the connection breaks and Yami and Joey are fighting again.

Max sees Joey coming back, obviously to stop them. "It's now or never," she tells the others. "So prepare to strike!"

"Wait!" Emily cried. "I can't do it! There's got to be another way!"

"I'll do it," said Yami.

Joey scoffed. "Gimme a break, Yugi. You don't have the guts." To prepare himself to attack, Yami twirls his scepter. "If you want to see some real moves, then watch this!" Before he can attack, he hears his voice in his head. " _Oh, no, you don't. It's over, pal."_ He tries to attack, but feels stuck like he's been rendered immobile. "Who's there? Why can't I move my arms?" Joey's spirit was trying to hold back the evil force controlling him. _"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to brainwash people?"_ "Grr, stop! Let go!" _"Yugi, make your move!"_

Yami takes this chance and attacks with his Dark Magic, setting Joey free from the evil force controlling him. "Joey," Tristan cries. "Are you all right?"

Max places her fingertips close to his neck to check his pulse. She smiles, meaning Joey is stable. "He's okay. It worked, you guys."

"So he's back?" Emily asked, holding her hands together.

"Hold on, don't start celebrating just yet," Solomon tells them. "We failed. The sword is gone." And he was right. The Blade of Chaos finished sinking into the volcano.

"You're kidding me!" Tristan complained.

"The test is over?" Tea asked.

Yami sighed, accepting the fact that it was over. "We saved Joey, but we ran out of time." Then he heard screeching and saw Red-Eyes coming back to fight again. "It's Red-Eyes Black Dragon! She's still alive!" The Black Dragon launches her Inferno Fire Blast, but Yami uses the power of Magic Cylinder to redirect the attack back at her. Red-Eyes falls and lands close to them.

Joey groans and manages to get up. "It's time to end this," he tells himself. He raises his voice and tells his friends, "We haven't failed yet."

"I don't understand," Emily was saying. "The Blade of Chaos is gone." But she was wrong. Joey climbed on the Black Dragon's back and showed them another sword stuck inside of her.

"Freya!" Joey screamed as he gripped his hands over the weapon's tail and struggled to pull it out. "I'll save you!" The Black Dragon was trying to endure the pain, but it was making her want to thrash around and scream too. But she knew that Joey was trying to help her, so she tried to control herself. Finally, he manages to pull the Blade of Chaos from her back and throw it in the air before it can do more harm.

"Pharaoh, that sword is the source of the curse that was placed on Joey," Max tells Yami. "We can still win this! The Blade of Chaos must be destroyed!" Yami agrees and uses his Dark Magic attack to destroy the Blade of Chaos.

Tea looks down and sees another piece of the pendant turning from purple to red. "Check it out! We cleared the third challenge!"

"I'm still confused," said Emily. Solomon and Tristan didn't understand either.

Max decided to explain. "It's simple. The sword in the volcano was a decoy. The real Blade of Chaos was pinned to Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Our challenge was to remove the sword and the curse it carried. And thanks to Joey's bond with his Dragon, the peace between them was restored once again."

Joey weakly smiled. "If you guys were in my shoes, you would've done the same thing."

"Yes, but we weren't," Max tells him. For once, she was impressed with Joey and proud of him for something he did. That was why she was smiling at him.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without your help," he tells his friends. "And yours too, Red-Eyes." The Black Dragon softly growls, thanking him for his help too. Although Joey couldn't see it, he could tell Red-Eyes was smiling at him because he knew Freya was smiling at him too. "Now get some rest," Joey says, rubbing her head. The Black Dragon turns into a capsule and Joey picks it up. "I'm glad we're together again, old pal. Now let's go kick some butt at the next challenge." Then Joey finds himself feeling tired and needing to rest. Who could blame him for that after what he put himself through?

Even Yami was feeling a little out of it. "Are you okay, Father?" Emily asks him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he promises her. "Now let's go."

She nods in agreement. "I still wish I could use my powers. I'd be able to have you and Joey all fixed up."

Yami places his hand on Emily's head and rubs it. "I appreciate the thought. But don't worry."

The group sees a passage being revealed at a cave near the volcano. "I guess this is the way to the next trial."

"Gee, what gave it away, Emily," Max asked. "The sliding rock or the glowing doorway?"

"Maybe our next challenge will be in outer space," Tristan joked. He was becoming tired of carrying his friends around whenever someone was injured or unconscious. It was kind of hurting his back and shoulders. It was almost as irritating as hearing Joey talk in his sleep because he mentioned food. Tristan had a big appetite too and was also hoping the gang would be able to catch a meal. After all that's been going on, neither of them could remember when they last ate.

Little did any of them know that they were being watched by the same masked stranger. "What they say about you is true, Pharaoh. You're as loyal as you are courageous and a true son of the Great Goddess Millennia. If anyone exists who can complete the five trials and finally set my spirit free, it is you," he says, removing his mask and watching them enter the portal.


	10. Fruit of Evolution

Fruit of Evolution

It seemed too good to be true as everyone found themselves standing in the middle of the tropics. Joey was more than excited and gathered as much fruit as he could from the trees. No one was surprised that he was more hungry than they were. Then again, he is a self-proclaimed food freak.

Joey was about to take a bite off of a banana when it suddenly turned into a scroll. Again, Yugi's grandfather deciphered the text. The contents read, _'Choose the apple that gives you a raise, then offer it up in the sacred maze'._

It was hard to know which apple was the right one they needed. There were hundreds in the trees and the tropics were huge. There wasn't even a maze anywhere in sight. But the place wasn't as big as any of them thought. They came across a barrier of some sort, only to see darkness at the other end. This meant that this was as far as this part of the game would go. Perhaps finding the apple they needed wouldn't be so hard after all.

This time, Tristan was the one who became excited as he saw what he thought to be the biggest melon he ever saw. He tried to move it from the ground, but it was stuck. Max rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for this."

"Tristan, Max is right. We should get going," Emily tells her friend. "Plus, I doubt anyone's going to run off with that thing."

"You bet they won't," Tristan said as he took a marker and drew a picture of himself. "There, now everyone knows that this melon's mine."

"That's great. Can we go now?" But when Max asked that, the melon began sinking into the ground. Tristan began to pursue his prized melon, but slowed down and waited for his friends.

The tunnel led them to some sort of underground chamber. Looking up, they saw three golden apples resting on three pillars. One of them had to be the apple mentioned in the riddle, but which one? Tea was about to walk inside the chamber, but Emily told her to wait. "See anything familiar?"

Tristan saw it too and exclaimed, "That's my melon."

Max grinned. "Don't be so sure."

"What's that mean? There's another giant melon with my face on it?"

Max sighed. She was at the point of becoming frustrated. "What I mean is, that's not a melon." And she was right. It was an insect monster called Petite Moth. Tristan was disgusted and wanted to teach it a lesson for fooling him, but as he used his capsule launcher to summon Thunder Kid, the chamber rumbled and walls formed everywhere, cutting everyone off from each other and putting them in separate teams. Tea and Emily were paired together and so were Max and Joey. Yugi was still with his grandpa and Tristan was with his Thunder Kid.

It seemed hopeless for everyone. There were dead ends almost everywhere and every wall looked the same. Tristan got the idea of using his marker to draw himself to know he had been the spot he was in so he could take a different route. But he couldn't remember which route he took before and ended up going back to the same wall he drew on a thousand times. Just when Tristan was about to cry and say he missed his friends, Thunder Kid tapped his shoulder and showed him a capsule nearby. Tristan touched it and release a fish-like creature with claws called Shovel Crusher.

At another part of the maze, Tea and Emily continued to walk until they saw a monster hanging from the ceiling. It was a giant spider called Jirai Gumo. The girls were about to summon Dark Witch and Magician's Valkyria, but the spider used its silk to steal their capsules. They knew Happy Lover and Watapon wouldn't stand a chance against the monster, but they hoped the capsules they saw would. But just when the blonde and the brunette were about to touch them, Jirai Gumo used its silk to stop them in their tracks. Unable to reach the capsules, the girls summon Happy Lover and Watapon to help them out. The two little monsters try to knock down the capsules before the spider can come any closer to attack them. With all their might, Happy Lover and Watapon knock the capsules over and the girls manage to touch them with their fingertips. Released from the capsules are Seiaryu and Dark Magician Girl. Together, they destroy Jirai Gumo and the girls get their capsules back.

Far away from the others, Max and Joey were figuring their way around the maze by drawing a map. And as they were eating the fruit Joey brought along, they found themselves feeling physically and mentally strong again. While Joey was busy playing genius, Max saw a monster behind him trying to get his attention. She pulls Joey towards her, seeing he's not paying attention. Joey yells at her for breaking his concentration, but Max tells him that she had to because the monster that was about to attack them was Battle Ox. Joey used his capsule launcher to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon, but the corridors in the maze were too narrow and the Dragon couldn't fit. Just then, something broke through the walls and crushed Battle Ox. It was Shovel Crusher and Max and Joey saw Tristan riding on it. Quickly, they joined him and began looking for the others.

Tea and Emily were riding on Seiaryu, still trying to navigate their way through the maze. Suddenly, Shovel Crusher broke through one of the walls and took the girls by surprise. What was even more surprising was that the wall opposite from them had been broken through to reveal Yugi and Solomon. "Yugi, Grandpa, we found you," said Emily.

"Howdy, strangers," Yugi greeted.

"You got room for the two of us?" his grandfather asked.

Finally, the team was reunited at last. Everyone was riding on Shovel Crusher and the monster continued to bust through every wall in front of it. "Nice job, guys," Yugi tells his friends. "Thanks to the Capsule Monsters you found, the gang is back together and better than ever."

"And with two powerhouses in our corner, there's not a creature we can't clobber," his grandfather mentioned.

"There's not a brick wall we can't clobber either," Tristan added. "I just hope we're heading in the right direction."

"Speaking of that," Joey was saying, "don't you sort of think we're cheating our way through this maze?"

"Not necessarily," said Max. "The riddle didn't say we couldn't take a shortcut. For all we know, this was our only solution."

After breaking down almost every wall, the group was finally out of the maze and back in the chamber with the pillars. But when they looked up, they noticed that there were two apples. What they also noticed was that Tristan and Solomon were missing. They were still riding on Shovel Crusher and the monster wouldn't stop breaking everything down. Another thing the group noticed was a Cocoon of Evolution right next to the stairs. As if on cue, Great Moth emerged from the Cocoon and was ready to fight. The Millennium Puzzle activated and Yami was ready to battle too. He summoned Dark Magician and activated his duel armor to merge with him. Joey and the girls were ready too. He summoned Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Max summoned Harpy's Pet Dragon, Tea summoned Seiaryu, and Emily summoned Dark Magician Girl.

Though they were able to bombard it from five different directions, the Great Moth was able to withstand all of their attacks. Even worse, it had evolved into the Ultimate Great Moth. Seiyaryu and Red-Eyes tried to attack again, but the Moth deflected their attacks. Yami tried to attack as well, but the Ultimate Great Moth shielded itself and counter attacked. Then Yugi got an idea; maybe the answer to this was the apples on the pillars. Yami agreed and went up to the top of one of the pillars. He ate the apple resting on it to gain the power of evolution, transforming Dark Magician into the Magician of Black Chaos. Yami activated his duel armor again and became one with his chaos mage. Finally, he was able to take down the Ultimate Great Moth with his Chaos Scepter Blast.

Tristan and Solomon finally rejoined the others. Knowing they missed out on the action, Emily decided to fill them in. "When we first arrived, there were three apples resting upon three pillars. But when we returned, there were two apples. One of them was missing. Then we realized that there were three for a reason though we only needed one."

"But how'd Yugi know which one to choose?" Tea asked. "They all looked the same."

"That's true," Max tells her. "Each apple had the same power, but they also had different roles in the test. The first apple was consumed by Petite Moth, giving it the power to evolve into Great Moth. That was when the pharaoh realized that if he ate the second apple, he would gain the power of evolution too. That's why it was called the apple that gives you a raise. Joey and I figured that out when we were eating some of the fruit we packed with us in the maze. It was making us physically and mentally strong. Now one apple remains and that's the apple we need to offer up."

"Nice work, you guys," said Tristan.

"By the way, Tristan, how'd you and Mr. Muto miss out on all the action?" Emily asked. "And what happened to your monster?"

He shows them the capsule in his hand and tells her that it's resting. All that careening around finally took its toll on the beast.

Yugi came back with the last apple and now the group could finally climb the stairs. There was a pedestal on top and when Yugi placed the apple on it, the pendant around Tea's neck glowed once again. The apple turned into a stairwell that led to the door to the last trial.


	11. The Fiendish Five

The Fiendish Five

The group found themselves back to the campsite where they first started. Some of them wondered if they took the wrong passage, but Yugi and his grandfather wondered if they came full circle. "If this is the spot we entered from, then it makes sense that the exit would be here too," Yugi wondered.

"A wise deduction," said a familiar voice. It was the same masked man from the beginning. "But you still have a long way to go before you may return home. Your fifth and final challenge will prove to be your most difficult thus far."

"All right, enough secrets," Max demanded. "It's time you identified yourself."

The stranger agreed and introduced himself. "My name is King Alexandros III of Macedonia."

Emily's eyes widened. "Alexander the Great," she silently repeated.

Alexander grinned. "So I take it you've heard of me. What do they say about my life where you live?"

"Well, we know that you almost single-handedly conquered the entire world on your path of supreme conquest," she answered.

He grinned once more. "The events of which you speak occurred many lifetimes ago, my princess." He removes his cloak and shows them that he has a capsule launcher and is also wearing the same duel armor that Yugi is wearing. "It began over two millennia ago as the world's most powerful empires fell at my feet: Greece, Persia, Egypt. I was unstoppable and it was all thanks to a good luck charm I stumbled upon."

Max tightens her eyes. "What sort of a charm?" she asks, wondering if it contained the power of the Gods.

Alexander turns his attention to Yugi and replies, "Actually, it was not unlike yours. But this gift came with a price. Although it brought me countless victories, the charm around my neck seemed to cloud my mind. And before long, I lost the respect and loyalty of my men." He continued on saying that he met a stranger who knew his lust for power and decided to test his worth by having him face the trials of the Capsule Monsters. So he entered the pyramid and played the same game Yugi and his friends were playing right now.

"I take it you didn't succeed?" Yugi wondered.

He shakes his head. "My lust for power was my downfall. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened after I failed."

Emily tried to remember from her research. "If the history books are right, your invasion of India ended in tragedy and your empire fell. All but a few of your men deserted you. Some historians and scholars assumed that the failure was so devastating; you never recovered."

Alexander told her she was right. "I failed the stranger's test and lost everything. But it was my own fault. And now it's your turn. This is the final trial." He opens a scroll and reads the challenge. "Slay them all if you dare: earth, fire, sky, water, and air."

Yami immediately took control. "Slay them all?" he repeated.

"Why does that sound familiar," Emily asked. "And where do we even start?" It's a good thing Alexander showed up when he did. He knew where they needed to go, so he began leading the way. He even gave Solomon one of his own capsules. Whatever monster was inside, Yugi's grandfather needed to figure out on his own.

Alexander brought them to a town known as the Village of the Divine Dragon. The inhabitants were gathered around a sacred altar like they were getting ready for a ceremony of some sort. Just then, a young girl with reddish brown hair clad in a white dress was walking up to the shrine. The village chief joined her. "Are you prepared to offer up your soul so that the Divine Dragon may continue to offer protection to our people?"

Emily gasped. "That poor girl."

"Our challenge must be to save her," Max wondered. The others agreed and began approaching the shrine.

The chief took notice of their presence. "State your business. We are in the midst of a sacred ceremony."

"And we're here to put a stop to it before someone gets hurt," said Joey.

"Yes, but I'm fine," the girl insisted.

Max picked up a rock and let it slip from her hands. When she heard nothing, she knew it wasn't a small drop. "You call that fine? That rock could've been you. Don't you get it?"

"Who are you?" The village chief asked.

"We're on a mission to slay some monsters or something," Tristan tells him.

The chief's eyes widen. "It's you, the legendary warriors of the prophecy." The rest of the villagers gasp, wondering if it's true.

"Are you saying you were expecting us?" Yami asked.

The chief nods and explains that this region was once dominated by five terrifying Dragons until they were banished by the divine White Dragon. She continued to protect the town until the warriors of the prophecy would arrive to fight and destroy the Dragons known to the villagers as the Fiendish Five. But the White Dragon's power is limited and in order for her to continue to protect the villagers, she must be supplied with the power she needs. "We hold this annual ritual because the White Dragon feeds on the power of human souls."

"So you picked an innocent child?" Emily asked.

The brunette corrected her by saying she volunteered. "It's my duty as a citizen of this town."

"It doesn't need to be this way, my young friends," said Alexander. "If you're able to locate and defeat the Fiendish Five, this girl's soul will be spared."

"Tell us where to find these beasts and we'll make sure they never threaten you again," Yami promised.

The chief tried to answer, but one of the villagers spoke up. "You don't know what you're dealing with! I'm telling you, no human has ever entered the domain of the Fiendish Five and returned to tell the tale!"

"Until now," said Max, having the feeling that this would be a challenge.

The chief answered anyway saying that the Dragons dwelled in five different locations: Meteor Mountain, the Whirlwind Forest, the Bottomless Spring, the Cavern of no Return, and the great Molten Chasm. "You have until sunup to conquer them all. But should you fail, a sacrifice must be made."

The same villager spoke up and suggested, "If they're so brave, let them offer up one of their own souls!"

Max wiped her brow. "Fine, if we don't win this, you can take him," she says, pointing to Joey.

"Oh, real nice," the blonde lad shouted.

"No soul will need to be sacrificed, you have my word," said Yami.

Max smirked. "Well, lucky you."

"Let's hope so," Joey moaned.

Emily walks up to the young girl and takes her hand. "Just put your faith in us as I promise we won't let you down."

"Thank you, miss," she says gratefully.

Even the chief was grateful that they were helping. "If this works, we are forever in your debt. Good luck, my friends."

The girl from the shrine led the group through town. "Are you really the brave warriors of the prophecy," she asked Emily.

"Maybe," Emily answered. "All my friends and I know is that this task is part of our final test."

The young brunette was confused. "What test?"

Emily smiles and tells her, "It's a bit of a long story and it's a little hard to explain."

The group came to another sacred spot and saw a sword sheathed in a pedestal. "My people call this object the Sword of Divinity. If the legend is true, it may be the only thing capable of slaying the Fiendish Five. Only the chosen warriors have the power to remove it from the stone." Joey tried to remove the Sword, but he couldn't do it. Tristan tried too and said it was stuck. "Maybe only one of you is meant to wield the Sword," the girl wondered. Yami decided to give it a try, but not even he could pull the Sword from the pedestal. "The legend states that when a great power descends from the skies, the sacred sword will rise."

"If I hear another riddle, my head's gonna spin," Joey complained.

"But it may be the only way to remove the Sword," said Max.

"Maybe we need to summon a Capsule Monster," Emily wondered.

Alexander shakes his head. "It is imperative that we find the Fiendish Five before they find us. And I'm afraid if they reach this town, their power will grow." Max wanted to ask Alexander how he managed to face this trial, but figured it would be a dumb question since she remembered that he failed in his efforts. For now, the team decided to split up and find the Dragons.

Max and Joey went to the Whirlwind Forest, Tristan went to Meteor Mountain, Tea walked into the Cavern of no Return, Solomon went to the Bottomless Spring, and Yami and Emily went to the Molten Chasm. As they were jumping across the rocks, they saw two capsules nearby and touched them. Yami got Black Luster Soldier and Emily got Rainbow Dragon.

All the Dragons appeared and were ready to fight. Joey and Max were facing Luster Dragon #2, Tea was facing Serpentine Night Dragon, Tristan was battling Meteor Dragon, Solomon was matching his Curse of Dragon against a Water Dragon, and Yami and Emily were face-to-face with Tyrant Dragon. "Bring it on!" they all shouted.

Everyone thought they were winning, but the Dragons wouldn't go down so easily. When everyone thought they beat them, the Dragons still had plenty of fight in them. Tyrant Dragon was preparing to leave its domain. Now that a fight was underway, it was about to attack the village. "No, we can't let it get away!" Emily cried, climbing on her Dragon's back.

Yami summoned his Magician of Black Chaos and activated his duel armor to merge with him. Tyrant Dragon saw Black Luster Soldier hanging from his tail and kicked him off. "Hang on," Emily calls to the warrior, "we're coming!" And Rainbow Dragon lets him land on her back. "Hey!" Emily shouts to Tyrant Dragon, "Where do you think you're going?" Rainbow Dragon attacks with her Rainbow Ray and Tyrant Dragon falls down. "Well done." But she spoke too soon when she felt a fierce wind blowing from behind. It was coming from Luster Dragon #2 and he was battling with Red-Eyes and Harpy's Pet Dragon. From below the ground, Meteor Dragon emerged as well. Seeing this, Yami withdraws his Black Luster Soldier.

"Yugi, Emily," Joey calls to them.

"Max, Joey, Tristan," Yami shouted back. "Are you all right?"

"We'd be better if these Dragons would stay down!" Max told him. Just then, Water Dragon emerged from the river with Curse of Dragon chasing from behind. Even Seiaryu had Serpentine Night Dragon's tail in his mouth to keep it from escaping.

 _Maybe what that girl said before was true_ , Emily wondered. _The only way to defeat the Fiendish Five is to use the Sword of Divinity._

Yami remembered too and got an idea. "We must lead them back to the village! Trust me!" And the group began riding their Dragons back to the village with the Fiendish Five in pursuit. Yami makes it to the village square and dispels his armor. "Everyone take cover. You're about to receive a visit from some unwanted guests," he warned the citizens.

"Why have you done this?" Alexander asked Yami. "Bringing them here has made them more powerful than ever!"

This was all part of the pharaoh's plan. He needed the Dragons to be here so he could release the power of the Sword of Divinity and the Sword itself. The first thing he does is summon Black Luster Soldier and merge together with him. Finally, Yami is able to pull the Sword of Divinity from the pedestal. "Sword of Divinity, channel the power of these Dragons!" he shouts, raising it in the air and absorbing their power. "Now to take you down with your own power!" And Yami uses the Sword to attack the Fiendish Five.

The young brunette was more than happy for Yami's victory. "Thank you, sir! You and your friends saved my soul and I am forever in your debt!"

But it wasn't as over as everyone thought. The fifth portion of the pendant Tea was wearing was still purple, meaning they hadn't yet passed the last trial. The Fiendish Five was still alive and together, they became one terrifying Dragon: the Five-Headed Dragon.

The villagers continued to run and search for shelter. Although Yami and his friends have battle and defeated Five-Headed Dragon before, they knew that this time, things would be different. They all remembered that it could only be destroyed by light attribute monsters, so Emily summoned Magician's Valkyria and Watapon to join her Rainbow Dragon and Tea summoned Happy Lover and Dark Witch to join her Seiaryu. But although they were creatures of light, there were only able to damage the Five-Headed Dragon by so much. Even the Sword of Divinity was unable to leave a scratch.

Three of the five heads attacked Tea, Tristan, and Emily and knocked them off of their Dragons. "My head says we need a new plan," Tea groaned.

"Well, my feet say we should run," Tristan said, seeing the heads getting ready to attack again. Max, Joey, and Yami hurry to their rescue and take the attacks.

"Are you all right?" Emily asked.

"I'll be fine," Yami groaned. "It's the others that worry me."

Hearing the pharaoh say that made Emily feel like she was getting in his way. "Sorry, Father."

"Don't worry. Someone's got to protect these villagers."

"Okay, then. Tea and Tristan and I will get them to safety. You and the others take down Five-Headed Dragon. I'll leave my monsters to protect you too." Her friends agree and decide to do the same thing.

Yami stands up and groans. The Sword of Divinity was supposed to be the key to defeating the Fiendish Five and he wondered what he was doing wrong. Well, if he couldn't fight, the least he could do was try to get the monster as far away from the village as possible.

Frightened, the young brunette returned to the altar and began praying. "Divine one, please hear me. I beg of you to help this stranger to defeat the Fiendish Five. He has proven that he is the chosen one. He now holds the Sword of Divinity." Then she turns around and sees the chief and her fellow villagers joining her in prayer.

"Yes, please guide this young man and his friends to victory."

Tears fill her eyes. "Please help him," she pleads once more. Once her tears fall and land on the floor, a light fills the area. She opens her eyes and sees that the Divine Dragon has answered her prayer.

The five heads were about to attack Yami all at once, but a great light shielded him and intercepted all of their attacks. The same light rose to the sky and was revealed to be Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Look at that," Emily said, watching in awe.

"So this is who the people of this village have been worshiping for all these years," said Max.

"Divine Dragon," Yami was pleading, "please lend me your power so that we can do this together." Hearing his plea, Blue-Eyes White Dragon gives Yami her strength and joins forces with him.

"That is beautiful," Emily whispered, admiring his new transformation.

"Kaiba'd love to see this," Joey wondered.

"Here we go, my final move," Yami was saying. "If this doesn't work, nothing will." He raises the Sword of Divinity and decrees, "You have terrorized this village for the last time! From darkness you came and to darkness you shall return!" The Dragon lowers its five heads in fear of the light. They all try to attack, but Yami dodges them and finishes them off with the Sword of Divinity and the power of White Lightning.

Finally, the Fiendish Five is no more and the sun begins to rise. And the last stone lights up and the whole pendant is red. "The fifth stone just lit up," Tea cheered.

"That means we completed the last trial," said Emily. "We had to slay them all, but it had to be done with all of us and even the Fiendish Five united as Five-Headed Dragon."

Max nods. "And thanks to your father, the deed is done. I guess what they say is true: together we are one."

Yami remains in the air raising the Sword of Divinity in triumph. A vision played before his eyes as he was taking the same stance before the public of the Egyptian kingdom with his queen and subjects beside him. They were all cheering for their graceful leader and brave hero. To Alexander, this trial was a test of leadership and charisma. "By gaining the trust of the Divine Dragon and the people, you have proven yourself a true leader," he said silently.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon returns to the altar, making her image on the stone more regal. Though Yami couldn't see it, he could certainly tell that she was smiling at him, telling them that they won the battle together with their courage and light. He smiled back in agreement. "Thank you for having faith in me, my friend."

There was a celebration in the square for their victory. "We owe you our eternal gratitude for you have silenced an enemy that has threatened us for centuries," the young brunette said again. She walks up to Yugi and says directly to him, "Oh, Yugi, thank you so much. And your friends too. Now all you need to do is answer one more riddle and you may leave."

"What is it?" Emily asked.

She smiles and giggles. "I'm just kidding, Emily. I wanted to give you and your friends the humor. But I will miss you all."

"We'll never forget you either," Emily says, shaking her hand.

"Farewell, my friends," she calls out, waving goodbye with her fellow villagers. Yugi and his friends wave goodbye as well and leave the village.


	12. The Truth of Alexander

The Truth of Alexander

Everyone returned to the forest where they started, trying to find the path they entered from. "We're back where we started, so where's the passage home?" Emily asked.

"Knowing this place, we have another challenge to face," said Max.

"That's not funny, Max. You know I can't stand to hear another riddle," Joey complained.

"I'm afraid Max is correct," said Alexander. "You may have passed all five trials, but I'm afraid this journey of yours is not yet complete. One task remains. Once you've made it home to your world, you must quickly locate a hidden chamber located at the top of the pyramid. Your pendant will now be able to open the door. Once inside, you will be granted the power I once craved; the power necessary to rule the entire world."

"But we already told you, we just want to go home," said Emily. "We're not interested in any power no matter how great it sounds."

"I know, Princess Emily. But there is someone who does seek this power." Alexander removes his mask and reveals his face, shocking everyone. Alexander looked identical to Dr. Brismaine. Then everyone remembered that Dr. Brismaine's first name was Alex. But Solomon said that Alex had been his colleague for years and he assured everyone that his colleague and this ancient leader were not one and the same.

Unfortunately, Solomon was only half right. Alexander revealed that when he first came into contact with the charm he found and put it around his neck, his soul was split into two pieces. He was trapped in the game while his dark half was trapped in the pyramid. "My dark half was set free when Dr. Muto entered the pyramid with Dr. Alex Brismaine, who happens to be a direct descendant of mine. My dark half seized control of Dr. Brismaine and brought you here in hopes that you would be able to unlock the power we never could. You must obtain that power before he does or he'll use it to take over your world."

"No, he can't," Tea said, clutching the pendant.

"Don't let that pendant out of your sight," Alexander warned. "Whoever holds it holds the key to ultimate power. And when you return, my dark half will be waiting to seize it."

"I see," Max was saying, "that's why your dark half tricked us into playing the game. He knew it was the only way for him to get the pendant." _He must've been the evil force the Dark Lord was trying to warn me about._

"And he was right," Alexander concluded. "So we must think of a plan to stop him." Without a vessel of his own, Alexander couldn't cross back into the real world. So he needed a host. He joined forces with Solomon and told everyone to concentrate at the same time and they'll be transported back inside the pyramid.

And it worked. They were all back in the room they were in before they entered the world of the Capsule Monsters. And just as Alexander warned everybody, Dr. Brismaine was waiting for them. "Hello, Dr. Muto! You're back," he cried, happy to see his mentor again. But they all knew it was Alexander's dark half controlling him. "Thank goodness you're all right. I was worried sick about you the moment you disappeared into that map."

"Well, you can stop worrying because we all made it back in one piece," said Solomon.

"Thank goodness," Alex said again. "Because if anything were to happen to you, I would never have been able to forgive myself."

"Oh, please," Max scoffed. "There's no way you could have known what would happen." She had to put on a convincing act the same way Alex was doing. She could see right through him that he was under the control of an evil force; especially when she heard him wonder if anyone found anything of any interest.

"By the way, when you all crossed over to the other side, did any of you find anything?"

"Like what?" Max asked. "I mean, was there something any of us should have found?"

"I don't know, I was hoping maybe you would bring back an artifact or a souvenir."

Solomon could see right through his colleague too and knew he was after the pendant. He decided to use it to distract him so Alexander could reunite with his dark half. "Artifact, eh? Let me think. My mind's not as sharp as it once was," he said, playing along. "Oh, wait, now that you mention it, I did find something. Is this what you meant?" Solomon asked, reaching into his pocket and showing Alex the pendant.

Dr. Brismaine looked in delight. "Yes, that's exactly what I meant."

Before he can touch it, Alexander emerges and grabs him. "After all these years, I've finally caught up with you. Now join together with me to become one!" And Alexander disappears inside his descendant's vessel.

"Dr. Brismaine, are you okay?" Emily asked in concern.

In answer, Alex gets on his knees and sighs. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm feeling better than I have in a long time." Everyone except for Max smiles and cheers. Alex stands up and holds out his hand. "Now then, let's look at that strange object you brought back."

Trusting that this is his colleague, Solomon places the pendant in his hand. But Max knows that it's not him. "No, Mr. Muto, it's a trick! He's not Dr. Brismaine!"

Alex swipes the pendant and chuckles. "How right you are, my dear. As you can see, my peaceful side is also my foolish side. He could never have conquered half the globe without me!" He raises the pendant in the air and declares, "It is time for me to complete what I began centuries ago!"

Alex's good side tries to take control and reason with his dark half. "You're making a mistake! Didn't you learn your lesson the first time? The power you seek doesn't belong to us!"

"You've held me back for the last time," growled his dark side.

"You won't get away with this," Yugi shouts. "Now give us back that pendant!"

Alexander turns around and heads for the stairs. Yugi and the others pursue him. He comes to the top of the pyramid and stops at the door. "I've stared at this doorway hundreds of times. But this time, I hold the key." He places the pendant in the lock and the doors begin to open. "At long last!" But before he can enter, Yugi jumps and tackles him.

"We worked too hard for that thing," Tristan says, trying to hold Alexander back. Alexander gets up and charges for the entrance. Joey grabs him by the ankle and tries to pull him and his friends back, but everyone's weight causes them all to fall inside.

They all stop falling, but remain in the air and find themselves surrounded in what looks like a starry sky. "Where are we?" Yugi asked.

Then someone began appearing in front of everybody. "I know you," Alexander said when the man came into view. "You're the one who created the pyramid!"

"It's Shadi!" Yugi and Emily gasp.

"What's he doing here?" Max asked.

"You now stand at the threshold of a power greater than any you could imagine," Shadi tells everybody.

"All we really want is to go home," Yugi said again.

"Then go," Alexander growls. "I've been waiting for that power for two thousand years and now it's mine."

"We're the ones that did all the work," Tristan protested.

Joey agreed. "So whatever's in here belongs to us."

"Really," Alexander asked. "I see that no one ever told you that I already passed these five trials centuries ago." When Alexander and his own party played the game of Capsule Monsters, they cleared the same trials Yugi and his friends faced. But the door wouldn't open for Alex even though his pendant was red. His subjects tried to reason with him, telling him that this power didn't belong to any man, not even the greatest leader. The six subjects didn't doubt their king. They just feared that the power they heard of was too dangerous. But Alexander would not let go of his lustful desires and as his rage increased, so did the struggle of the two sides of his soul.

When Alexander was snapped back to his senses, he saw that the souls of his six vassals had been taken and trapped within the pyramid and he knew that he was next. The charm he came across was the Millennium Ring and the struggle between light and darkness went out of control. Alexander's pure side was trapped in the world of the Capsule Monsters while his dark half remained in the pyramid waiting for a chance to escape and complete what he started.

Two millennia later, his opportunity came. Fate had sent Alexander's distant descendant to the pyramid. So when Dr. Brismaine went to the top of the pyramid, Alexander's dark side seized control of him. But a body wasn't enough. What Alexander really needed was the perfect team capable of playing the game. That was when he met Yugi and his friends and learned that some of them had a connection with the ancient ways. He saw the Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck and realized he too, had the powers of the Gods. The same was said for Max when he noticed her Cobalt Star shard and Alex even recognized that Emily was the princess who possessed the Millennium Star. Max was right; this was all played out by the hands of fate.

But the fight for power would never cease. There was only one way to determine who was truly deserving of the power that was promised and Shadi knew how. "You must face each other in one final test. Dr. Alex Brismaine, who bears the soul of King Alexandros, shall face Yugi Muto, who bears the soul of the great nameless pharaoh in an all-out Capsule Monsters war. Only the true king shall prevail. Now begin!"


	13. The True King

The True King

"Well, this isn't going to take very long," Alexander sneered. "Soon I'll have what's rightfully mine."

"Not if the seven musketeers can help it," said Tea.

Yugi wouldn't let his friends fight. "I need to do this alone, guys. I'm not going to put you into any more danger than I already have."

"You need a new line," Max sighed. "Come on, get it through your head. You're stuck with us to the very end."

Joey agreed. "If you want to stop this creep from taking over the world, you need all the help you can get."

Even Yugi knew just as much and so did Yami, which was why he took control. "Let the battle commence."

Alexander wouldn't be fighting alone. The six subjects he brought with him had returned to help and protect their leader. The rules of the battle were simple. Players were permitted to summon any and all Capsule Monsters they managed to collect on their journey. Whoever would lose their monsters would also lose the battle and the winner would claim the power to rule the world.

Everyone activates their capsule launchers and summons their monsters. Yami summons Magician of Black Chaos, Celtic Guardian, and Black Luster Soldier. Joey summons Baby Dragon, Flame Swordsman, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Tristan summons Thunder Kid, Thunder Dragon, and Shovel Crusher. Tea summons Happy Lover, Dark Witch, and Seiaryu. Emily summons Dark Magician Girl, Magician's Valkyria, Watapon, and Rainbow Dragon. Max summons Hinotama Soul, Angel of Death, and Harpy's Pet Dragon. Solomon summons his one and only Capsule Monster, Curse of Dragon.

On Alexander's team, a young brunette lad summons Dyna Sword, Makiyura the Destructor, Dark Jeroid, and Lekunga. A strong man with beige hair summons Total Defense Shogun, Big Tusk Mammoth, and Manticle of Darkness. A woman in an aquamarine dress summons Reflect Bounder and Succubus Knight. A young woman with wavy blue hair and pink side bangs summons Hayabusa Knight, Lady Panther, and Garuda the Wind Spirit. The red-haired maiden summons Witch of the Black Forest and Marie the Fallen One. The older man summons Fire Winged Pegasus and Stealth Bird. Finally, Alexander summons Reshef the Dark Being.

Yami activates the power of his duel armor to merge with Black Luster Soldier. Alexander does the same thing and merges with Reshef the Dark Being. It was an all-out war, all right. The brunette's monsters tried to ambush Yami, but his own monsters protected him. Manticle of Darkness pounced on Joey and knocked him off of Red-Eyes, but Baby Dragon caught him just in time. Manticle of Darkness was about to attack again, but Flame Swordsman stopped him. Big Tusk Mammoth was trying to attack Tristan, but Shovel Crusher dug so many tunnels into the ground below; the Mammoth fell victim to the many potholes. Using the power to multiply, Succubus Knight avoided Dark Witch's attacks. But Tea knew how to find the real demonic diva, so she had her Dark Witch illuminate the area. When Tea saw a shadow being cast, she had her Seiaryu attack Succubus Knight. Hayabusa Knight and Garuda tried to attack Emily from the air, but she dodged them and made them end up attacking each other. Marie the Fallen one and the Angel of Death almost looked like distant cousins engaging in a fierce rivalry, but the Angel of Death was a messenger of the netherworld and had power over the fallen. Curse of Dragon tried to attack Stealth Bird, but the creature became invisible. To Solomon, this was a game of hide-and-seek and he knew how to expose his hidden enemy. The heat of Curse of Dragon's flame revealed Stealth Bird's shape and Solomon was able to land an attack.

Alexander saw that his subjects were in pain, but he showed no concern for any of them. "You fools were never any use to me. Now begone. My loyal servants, you and your monsters are now dismissed." Hearing them all cry out in pain, Yami wonders why Alexander would launch an attack against his own team. "I sacrifice you all to summon my Seven-Armed Fiend!" Yami and Yugi gasp as they look at the monster. It was the creature from their nightmares.

What made the Seven-Armed Fiend the toughest opponent was that each of its seven arms had its own hidden ability. One arm had the power to defend and intercept all attacks and when Joey tried to charge in for an attack, he was knocked off of his Dragon. The Arm of the Skulls allowed the Fiend to call upon an army of Skull Knights. Curse of Dragon landed an attack, but the Fiend used his Arm of Regeneration to restore them. The Skull Knights ambushed Curse of Dragon, causing him to fall. Yami tried to come to Solomon's aid, but the Fiend used his Arm of Entrapment to grab Seiaryu and drag Tea down. Emily rushes in to rescue her friend before she can fall.

Fighting from the air was too dangerous, so everyone decided to take the battle from the ground. But to get to the Seven-Armed Fiend, everyone had to get past the army of Skull Knights. Max told Yami to go on ahead and that she and the others would fight the Skull Knights. Yami tried to land an attack, but the Fiend used his Arm of Defense to protect himself.

Alexander cackled. "I've toyed with you fools long enough, so allow me to put you out of your misery by unleashing my Seven-Armed Fiend's most devastating ability: Arm of Destruction!"

"Look, guys," Tea gasped, "he's aiming for Mr. Muto!"

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him," Yami snarled.

"How about an entire hand," Alexander shouted.

"Watch out!" Joey and Tristan shout.

"Please hurry," the girls cry.

"Run while you can," Yami tells him.

Solomon knows he won't be able to escape, but when he thinks the attack is about to hit him, he opens his eyes and sees Baby Dragon, Watapon, Happy Lover, Hinotama Soul, and Thunder Kid surrounding him to protect him. "You five saved me," he tells them. "You sacrificed your own safety to protect an old man." The monsters all groan and smile weakly. Their partners say their goodbyes and their monsters disappear.

"There's not much time," Yugi tells Yami. "If we don't act quickly, all of our monsters will meet the same fate as those guys."

"All right, enough of this nonsense," said Alexander. "The war is over!" Yami agreed and began charging in for an attack with his Magician of Black Chaos and Celtic Guardian. The Seven-Armed Fiend uses his Arm of Clairvoyance to intercept their attacks. "My Fiend allows me to read your mind and anticipate your every move." Yami and his monsters try to shuffle and attack from different places, but Alexander knows where they're about to attack from and can stop them before they even get a chance to attack.

A Skull Knight tries to attack Emily, but Magician's Valkyria protects her. Even more Skull Knights appear and attack the mage. Rainbow Dragon uses her Rainbow Ray to blast them away. "Thanks for your help, my friend," Emily tells the Magician. "You've kept your promise and protected me like you always have." Valkyria smiles compassionately and fades away. It pained Emily to see one of her beloved Magicians being attacked and destroyed and she vowed that Alexander's monsters would pay. Seeing the Skull Knights getting ready to attack again, she orders her Rainbow Dragon to attack with her Rainbow Stream. "Don't worry about us, Father. Just concentrate on taking down the Seven-Armed Fiend." The others agree and tell Yami to keep fighting.

"We can't let them down," said Yami.

"Any idea what to do?" Yugi asks his partner.

"We need to find a way to get around that Defense Arm," Yami tells him. "The only problem is he can read our minds and therefore predict our strategy."

"Maybe there's a way to confuse him," Yugi wondered. That gave Yami an idea.

The Dragons remained in the air trying to protect their partners from the Skull Knights. Alexander was becoming tired of their efforts. "You fools are wasting your time. You can't win. Seven-Armed Fiend, prepare to attack." Looking through his monster's eyes, Alexander sees that his first unlucky victim is Emily.

"Wait," Yami shouts as he gets in front of her. "I'm the one you want, not her!"

"Father, no!"

"Trust me." This was his chance to finally avoid the seven arms and land an attack. "I hope this works," he tells himself as he activates his Millennium Puzzle.

Alexander chuckled. "Let's see what's on your mind, shall we?" But as he tried to read Yami's mind, he saw nothing but a mysterious labyrinth. "What? Where am I? This can't possibly be the pharaoh's mind." It worked. Since Yami's mind was linked to the Millennium Puzzle, the pharaoh was able to trap his enemy inside and prevent him from reading his thoughts. With the Seven-Armed Fiend blind and confused, he didn't know where to attack from. "This labyrinth is never ending. Each doorway leads to hundreds of others. I'm trapped. If I don't find a way out of this maze, I'll lose the game!" And together, Yami and his monsters were able to attack and destroy the Seven-Armed Fiend. Not only that, but the army of Skull Knights disappeared with him. "My Fiend is gone. But how? That's impossible!"

"It's time you stopped hiding like a coward!" Yami tells Alexander. "Now let's settle this once and for all! Come down here and fight me face-to-face! If you want your precious reward, then prove that you deserve it and defeat me!"

"Hey, Alexander, looks like you're not so great after all," Joey tormented.

"On the contrary, my young friends, you may have destroyed my Seven-Armed Fiend, however, my trusted servants have returned along with their respective Capsule Monsters. And need I remind you that I've merged with the most powerful creature on the field? Reshef the Dark Being. Now, my vassals, it's time to prove your loyalty to me! Destroy these amateurs and end this game!"

They all carry out their leader's command and attack. Fire Winged Pegasus destroys Shovel Crusher, Dyna Sword destroys Dark Witch, Total Defense Shogun destroys Dark Magician Girl, and Lady Panther destroys Flame Swordsman. Harpy's Pet Dragon tries to attack Witch of the Black Forest, but Reflect Bounder sends the blast back to the Angel of Death.

Alexander laughed in amusement. "Are you just gluttons for punishment, or do you honestly think you can win? Go ahead. Attack me again so I can finish you off and claim what's mine."

"That's easy to say from where you're sitting," Yami tells him. "Join the rest of us and let's see how tough you really are!"

Emily speaks to Yami mentally and asks him, _How are we supposed to win this challenge if we can't even get near the guy, let alone defeat him?_

 _Leave that to me,_ he tells her. _You and the others need to lure away the monsters in the front line so I can move in for an attack._

 _Okay. We've got your back._ Emily faces her friends and tells them the plan. They agree and use their Dragons to distract the opposing monsters. Red-Eyes swoops in and catches Reflect Bounder. Thunder Dragon uses his Lightning Force to keep Dyna Sword at bay. The rest of the Dragons keep the other monsters distracted. "Father, go!" Emily shouts.

Hearing that, Yami attacks with his Chaos Blade. "Your armor may offer a strong defense from afar, but now that I'm close enough, I'm afraid it's useless."

Alexander disagreed. "As you're about to witness firsthand, my armor offers more than just a strong defense. Activate Army Directional Laser Assault!" And rays begins striking everything in their paths.

Seeing this, Emily rides her Dragon and hurries to rescue her father. She and her Dragon endure the pain and manage to get him out of there. "What was that you were saying just now?"

"Sorry, slight miscalculation on my part," he apologizes.

At the same time, everyone else was battling one another. Thunder Dragon was facing Dyna Sword, Seiyaryu was battling Fire Winged Pegasus, Curse of Dragon was against Total Defense Shogun, Red-Eyes was trying to attack Lady Panther, and once again, Harpy's Pet Dragon failed to attack Reflect Bounder.

The lasers kept going and wouldn't stop. "Hold on," Emily calls to Alexander. "If you continue to fire, you'll be endangering your team as well!"

"That's the difference between me and your father," Alexander tells her. "I don't belong on a team. I have a staff of subordinates who serve as my every need. And like most things, when I'm through with them, I destroy them!"

As the lasers keep going, Yami wonders if he may have found a weakness. _Emily, his armor may have a blind spot._ He speaks up and tells Alexander, "Your lust for power is so great; you don't care who you hurt so long as you get your hands on it. However, in the end, the only person you end up hurting the most is yourself! Now observe your fatal flaw!" And he jumps off of Rainbow Dragon and he and his monsters begin to attack.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Emily whispered.

Alexander looks around trying to find Yami. "Pharaoh? Show youself!"

"Careful what you ask for!" And he and Celtic Guardian attack with their swords. The Magician of Black Chaos attacks as well. By attacking Alexander, they manage to disable the lasers. They try to land another sneak attack, but Alexander warns them that it won't work twice.

He begins drawing in his subjects' monsters again so he can use their power to increase his own. "Behold my armor's ultimate form! Now no one can escape its rampage!"

"Uh, someone want to tell me what's going on?" Max asked.

"Inconceivable," Emily gasped.

"He sacrificed his servants' monsters," Tristan answered.

"Just to strengthen his own," Joey finished.

Alexander's subjects tried pleading to him. "Your highness, you've left us with no monsters. How can we possibly defend ourselves?"

"Hmm, I guess you can't," Alexander replied. "But what you can do is donate your energy to a worthy cause by helping your king reign victorious!" All six of his subjects gasp. Reshef attacks with Projectile Pummel. Yami manages to evade the punches and counter attack, but by using the power of the monsters that were drained, the damage is absorbed and Alexander's subjects are the ones feeling pain. The rest of Yami's friends see it too when they try to attack Reshef.

"Pharaoh, are you beginning to understand the proper way for a king to utilize his underlings?" asked Alexander. "I'm sure your daughter could use this lesson too in becoming a leader."

Yami raises his voice and argues, "You couldn't be more wrong! A true king respects his subjects!" Hearing that, Alexander's six vassals are taken in by Yami's words and agree. Their leader once treated them all like family and concerned for them until his lust for power took control.

Just then, Reshef's Projectile Pummel attacks Yami from behind. "Yugi, no!" His friends cry out.

"You were saying, Pharaoh?" Alexander chuckles once again. "Take a good look at yourself. See what happens when you waste your time with such nonsense as kindness and respect? It's no wonder Millennia's warriors are so weak."

"That's enough!" Emily shouts.

"Actually, Princess, there's more. A ruler who doesn't know how to make good use of his or her subjects doesn't deserve to have any in the first place!"

"You can't," Yami groaned. "Not my friends!" And Reshef uses his Projectile Pummel to attack and knock everyone off of their Dragons.

"All that worrying about the well-being of your friends and in the end, you couldn't do a thing to save them," said Alexander. Reshef was getting ready to use his final and most devastating attack.

"What are we going to do?" Yugi asked Yami.

"We're going to protect them with everything we've got." And he sends his monsters to protect their friends. He also removes his armor and summons Kuriboh so he and Black Luster Soldier can protect them as well. Celtic Guardian gets in front of Tristan, Magician of Black Chaos gets in front of Solomon, Kuriboh protects Tea, and Black Luster Soldier protects Max. Rainbow Dragon coils around Emily to protect her. "Please do whatever is necessary to shield everyone from harm," Yami begs.

"Father," Emily groans.

"Well, what have we here?" Alexander asked. "It seems that the mighty pharaoh has given up his own monsters in the name of love and friendship. A true king would never value the lives of his servants over his own needs."

"He's right," Joey groaned. "Forget about us, Yuge. If that walking trash can defeats you, then that means Alexander the not-so-great gets the power to control the entire world."

Tristan was in agreement. "You've got bigger things to worry about. Don't waste all your energy on us."

"Listen to reason. If you don't save yourself, then we all lose," Solomon groaned.

"Take back your Capsule Monsters," Max demanded.

Tea raises her voice and tells Yami, "You have to win this fight no matter what happens to us."

Unable to hear anymore, Yugi regains control and faces his friends. "Look guys, there's no way I'm going to desert you! I know there's a lot at stake, but you're my best friends!"

Alexander had enough. "I've given you more than enough opportunities to prove you have what it takes to be a true king, but no. You insist on putting the needs of your friends above your own. And for that, you will fall!" And Reshef launches his attack. But just when it seems like Yugi is about to be struck down, Yami regains control to protect him. Also, everyone's Dragons begin to join forces with him. "No! What's going on?"

"I was right," Yugi was saying. "Love and friendship do matter."

Yami agreed. "Thanks to the strong bond we share with our friends, we now possess the Armor of Unity!" he and Yugi declare.

Max was more than impressed. "I like the new look, Pharaoh!"

"It's more than beautiful," Emily was saying. "It has a part of all of us with you."

Yami looks back at his friends. "I owe it all to you six. The combined strength of your monsters rests with me. And together, we shall take him down!"

"No!" Alexander yelled. "I am the most powerful being on Earth and I will not be stopped!" He tries to attack again, but with the power of everyone's Dragons, Yami is able to withstand it. "This can't be! He survived my mightiest attack without a scratch!"

"It's time to end this," Yami declares. "Never again shall you harm a single person; including your own disciples! Your reign of tyranny is done!"

"You can't do this to me! I am the true king!" Alexander tries to attack, but Yami dodges all that's being thrown at him. The pharaoh himself becomes surrounded in Dragon Force and finally destroys the Dark Being and finishes Alexander off once and for all.

The light of the attack finally subsides and everyone finds themselves floating in space again. "Everything's gone," said Tea.

"Oh, man, did we just lose?" Tristan asked.

"No, Yugi just blasted Alexander into next week," Joey said smartly.

"I'm sure there's an explanation," said Emily.

As if on cue, Shadi appeared. "Your final test is complete. The battle to determine which challenger is deserving of the greatest power known to man has ended. King Alexandros chose to sacrifice his allies to further his own strength while the nameless pharaoh sought to protect his friends even at the cost of his victory. This difference decided their fates. The pharaoh has proven that he is the one worthy of being called the true king." Shadi presents Yami with a clear glowing sphere. "This belongs to you now. Simply put, it contains the power necessary to rule the entire world."

"Thank you, Shadi, but I have no need of this power," said Yami.

Shadi respected his decision. "The paradox of the true king is that he who is deserving of the power to unite mankind can do so without it." Everyone's surroundings are illuminating again and they all find themselves being transported once again.


	14. The Journey Comes to an end

The Journey comes to an end

Everyone regains consciousness and finds themselves back inside the pyramid. Also, their equipment for the game is gone, meaning that it's finally over. Dr. Brismaine was back too and was lying on the floor unconscious. A few seconds later, his great ancestor emerged from his body. They were all glad to see that it was Alexander's good side too. "The dark side of my spirit is gone. So after two thousand years, my soul can finally rest in peace."

Joey started reacting in shock. "Say what!? Like, do you guys realize that we're talking to a ghost?"

Tea rolls her eyes and sighs. "Considering he was born in 356 B.C., it doesn't exactly come as the hugest surprise to me."

Alexander was more than grateful to his friends. "Had it not been for your bravery, I would have been trapped in that game for eternity. Thank you for setting me free." He faces Yugi so he can thank Yami directly and say 'goodbye'.

Many would consider it a rare privilege to meet and even become friends with one of the greatest leaders in history. Emily felt that way towards Alexander and he felt that same way towards her and Yami. "Like you, I also sat on the throne of Egypt. And your reign was an inspiration to me. It's an honor to have finally met you." And Alexander and Yami shake hands. "I hope that someday, you too, can return to your resting place." He turns his attention to Emily and says, "It was an honor to meet you as well, Princess Emily. You certainly are your father's daughter." He takes her hand and kisses it.

Alexander turns around and joins his six subjects. "My vassals, I am not deserving of your loyalty, but I shall cherish it always. Let us take our leave, my friends." And together, they leave in peace.

"That was pretty cool," said Yugi.

Emily agreed. "It's not every day you meet Alexander the Great. I'm going to miss him." She even figured he would've made a great warrior of Millennia.

"I think we all are," Tea said in agreement. Then the floors began to quake. Everyone knew that the pyramid was about to collapse and they needed to escape. They make it outside and watch the pyramid crumble. "What could've caused this to happen?" Tea asked.

"Shadi's test is finally over, so the pyramid served its purpose," Max answered.

Then everyone heard voices and saw two men calling to them. "Were you kids in the airplane that crashed about an hour ago?"

"Uh, yeah, but I think it was more than an hour ago," Tristan replied.

Tea looks down at her watch and sees that the men are right. "Time must've stood still for us."

Solomon gets down and tries to revive his colleague. "Come on, Alex, naptime's over."

Dr. Brismaine awakens and asks what's going on. "Dr. Muto, is that you? Where are we? Last I remember, we were inside a pyramid. And who are you people?"

Solomon could plainly see that Alex had no memory of what happened from when he was possessed by his ancestor's dark half. So he smiled and said, "I'll explain it all on the way home. Now let's move out. There's a long trip ahead."

One of the rescuers was doing a head count. "Wait, I thought there were only six of you."

Max places her hand on his shoulder and smiles. "Six, eight, what's the difference?"

The team makes it to the rescue chopper by the river where the plane crashed. "Think I can get my money back for those plane tickets?" Joey wondered.

"They were free, Joseph," Max reminded him.

Emily just smiled. "The important thing is that we're all safe."

"Emily's right. We're lucky to be alive." While everyone was getting inside the chopper, Yugi was thinking about the last thing Shadi said. He faces his partner and asks him, "Hey, Pharaoh, what do you think Shadi meant when he said, 'the power to unite mankind'?"

"I'm not exactly sure, Yugi, but if I had to guess, I'd say that Shadi was telling us that our adventures together are far from over." Finally, Yugi joins his friends and the helicopter ascends from the ground. Everyone was happy to finally be going home.

"So, do you think they'll ever be a time when we can hang out without having to save the world?" Joey wondered.

"Nope," everyone answered.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." And everyone laughs about it. But hey, that's the life of a hero. You expect a big break, but it turns into an epic adventure. And everyone's adventures were far from over.


End file.
